Centre for early use of HCQ

Centre for early use of HCQ

‘It must be avoided in severe cases’

14/06/2020

The Health Ministry on Saturday said the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) should be used as early as possible in the course of COVID-19 treatment to achieve meaningful effects and should be avoided in patients with severe disease. A 22-page national clinical management protocol provides for the management of cases based on the clinical severity of mild, moderate or severe, the Ministry said.

The new protocol includes use of remdesivir and off-label use of tocilizumab and convalescent plasma therapy on specific groups of patients. Also, while HCQ will continue to be in use, antibiotic azithromycin is no longer a part of the treatment protocol. The Ministry said patients are reporting symptoms like fever, cough, fatigue, shortness of breath, among others.

“Loss of smell (anosmia) or loss of taste (ageusia) preceding the onset of respiratory symptoms has also been reported,” the protocol said. It added that older people and immune-suppressed patients in particular may present with atypical symptoms such as fatigue, reduced alertness, reduced mobility, diarrhoea, loss of appetite, delirium, and absence of fever. Children might not have reported fever or cough as frequently as adults.