Summary:
The Health Ministry on Thursday came out with two key documents.
One of them lists revised guidelines for home Isolation of mild and asymptomatic Covid-19 cases, including treatment and drugs that can be prescribed by doctors to them.
The second is the protocol for the management of Covid-19 in the pediatric age group.
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What are the recommendations on treatment in home isolation?
The government has made general and specific recommendations.
The general guidelines state that patients must be in communication with a treating physician and promptly report any deterioration in condition.
The Covid-positive patient should also continue the medication for other co-morbid illnesses after consulting the treating physician.
The specific guidelines recommend that patients follow symptomatic management for fever, running nose, and cough, as warranted.
Also, patients may perform warm water gargles or take steam inhalation twice a day.
What if the fever is not controlled?
* The guidelines recommend that if the fever is not controlled with the maximum dose of paracetamol tablets (650mg four times a day), the patient should consult the treating doctor “who may consider advising other drugs like a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID)” such as Naproxen (250 mg twice a day).
The guidelines suggest further that the doctor consider ivermectin tablets (200 mcg/kg once a day, to be taken on an empty stomach) for 3 to 5 days.
* If the fever persists beyond 5 days of disease onset, inhalational budesonide (given via inhalers with spacer at a dose of 800 mcg twice daily for 5 to 7 days) can be given if symptoms (fever and/or cough) are persistent beyond 5 days of disease onset.
* And if the fever persists beyond 7 days, with worsening cough, the guidelines suggest that the patient consult the treating doctor for treatment with low-dose oral steroids.
Should the patient take remdesivir?
The decision to administer remdesivir or any other investigational therapy must be taken by a medical professional and administered only in a hospital setting.
“Do not attempt to procure or administer remdesivir at home,” the guidelines state.
They strongly recommend that in case of falling oxygen saturation or shortness of breath, the person should require hospital admission and seek immediate consultation of their treating physician/surveillance team.
What is the protocol for management of children with Covid-19?
The protocol lays down separate guidelines for asymptomatic children, and those with mild, moderate and severe illness.
* The protocol says asymptomatic children do not require any treatment, except monitoring for development of symptoms and subsequent treatment according to assessed severity.
* Children with mild disease may present with sore throat, rhinorrhea (runny nose), cough with no breathing difficulty, and a few children may have gastrointestinal symptoms.