IT Correspondent
New Delhi, April 22:
Nearly 85% of people with symptoms like common cold, sore throat etc can recover with symptomatic treatment and only 15% may go to moderate phase of the disease, the medical experts including Prof (Dr) Randeep Guleria, Director, AIIMS have stated.
Dr. Guleria, Dr. Devi Shetty, Chairman, Narayana Health and Dr. Naresh Trehan, Chairman, Medanta Hospital, who addressed various issues like the rational utilization of Remdesivir and use of Oxygen for treatment of COVID-19 patients, in a statement said that a majority of the patients can recover with symptomatic treatment.
Dr Guleria said that a cross ventilation reduces the risk of infection in closed places. He said that more than 85% of people can recover without any specific treatment in the form of Remdesivir etc. Most of those with symptoms like common cold for 5 to 7 days, can recover with symptomatic treatment. He exalted the vaccine as the key to beat the gloom that is usually associated with COVID-19 although it may not prevent one from getting the infection. The vaccine prevents us from getting the disease in the form of severe illness. Even after the vaccination, one can get infected. As such it is important to continue to wear a mask even after getting vaccinated.
Dr Guleria reassured that healthy individuals with oxygen saturation in the range 93-94% do not need to take high flow oxygen just to maintain their saturation at 98-99%. Even those with oxygen saturation less than 94 need close monitoring (oxygen being optional). ”Oxygen is a treatment, it’s like a drug, taking oxygen intermittently is an absolute waste of oxygen. There is no data that intermittent oxygen is of any help to the patients and in fact it is ill-advised.
Dr Shetty advised that a positive patient should get doctor’s opinion, since early medical help goes long way in curing the patient. There is a possibility that patient may be asymptomatic prompting the doctors to tell them to stay at home, isolate themselves, wear a mask and check their oxygen saturation every 6 hours. He noted that a saturation above 94% is no problem. A doctor may be consulted if it dips after exercise/effortful work. He also suggested to get tested if anyone have any symptom like body ache, cold, cough, indigestion, vomiting since that is the basis of any further treatment.
Dr Trehan echoed the sentiment that since less percentage of people require hospitalization, the hospital beds should be utilized judiciously. He added that his hospital has made a protocol that Remdesivir is not to be given to everyone who tests positive. It is to be given only after doctors look at test results, symptoms, comorbidities of a patient etc. Remdesivir isn’t a ‘Ram-ban’, it only decreases viral load in people who need it.
DPIIT road map
In the meanwhile the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade(DPIIT), in consultation with all stakeholders has issued a supply mapping plan for 12 high burden states till April 30,2021. The plan includes, the union Home Ministry’s advisory on unhindered movement of oxygen across states, the installation of 162 PSA Oxygen plants (154.19 MT capacity) in 32 States/UTs from “PM-CARES fund”, Operationalization of the IT application, ‘Medsupply’ which tracks site readiness, augmentation of Remdesivir production to around 74.10 lakh vials/month till May 2021 as against 27-29 lakh vials/month in January-February 2021 and a prohibition on the export of Remdesivir Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) and formulations by the Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) and stringent actions on black marketing and hoarding of Remdesivir.
