Centre Revises Covid-19 Treatment Guidelines, Drops Use Of Oral Antivirals, Antibiotics For Adult Patients

The Covid National Task Force of the Union Health Ministry has issued fresh guidelines highlighting the usage of oral drugs such as Remdesivir and Tocilizumab and injectable steroids under certain conditions only.

In the revised guidelines, Molnupiravir, the antiviral drug that received approval for emergency use by the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) only a fortnight ago, has been kept out. This comes after the drug received a thumbs down from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

The guidelines state that those above 60 years of age, or those having health conditions like cardiovascular disease, hypertension, coronary artery disease, diabetes, HIV, active tuberculosis, chronic lung, kidney or liver disease, cerebrovascular disease or obesity are at high risk for severe disease.