New Delhi: The government has once again revised guidelines for the treatment of coronavirus patients. The new guidelines have come days after the COVID task force chief expressed regret for the overuse of the drug during the second wave. Here’s what has been highlighted in the new guidelines for the treatment of COVID patients:
1. In the new guidelines the centre has recommended that the doctors should avoid giving steroids to COVID-19 patients as drugs like steroids can increase the risk of a secondary infection like invasive mucormycosis or ‘black fungus’, when used too early, at a higher dose or for longer than required.
2. It also advised doctors to recommend tuberculosis tests if patient’s cough persists for two-three weeks
Also Read: Omicron – Should It Be Treated As Common Cold? Top Doctors Say We Should Not Make That Mistake
3. The new guidelines have been categorised into three infection categories – “mild, moderate and severe”
4. As per the guidelines, upper respiratory tract symptoms without shortness of breath or hypoxia has been categorised as mild disease and have been advised home isolation and care.
5. Whereas, those suffering from mild Covid have been asked to seek medical attention if they have difficulty in breathing, high-grade fever, or severe cough lasting for more than five days.
6. People having breathlessness with a fluctuating oxygen saturation between 90-93 per cent, have been asked to get admitted, and have been categorised into moderate infection. The guidelines also said that such patients should be given oxygen support.
Also Read: Omicron Is Highly Infectious, Everyone Will Get It: Epidemiologist From ICMR
7. Respiratory rate over 30 per minute, breathlessness or oxygen saturation lower than 90 per cent on room air should be considered a severe disease and such patients have to be admitted to an ICU as they will need respiratory support, the guidelines said.
8. The revised guidelines continue to recommend emergency use authorization (EUA) or off-label use of remdesivir in patients with “moderate to severe” disease and those with no renal or hepatic dysfunction within 10 days of the onset of any symptom. The guidelines have warned against the use of the drug for patients who are not on oxygen support or in-home settings.
9. The guidelines also stated cases which are at high risk of developing severe disease due to COVID-19 and said people aged above 60 years, or those having cardiovascular disease, hypertension and coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus and other immunocompromised states, such as HIV, active tuberculosis, chronic lung, kidney or liver disease, cerebrovascular disease or obesity are at high risk for severe disease and mortality.
COVID-19 Status In India
As of January 18, India reported 2.38 lakh Covid cases over the past 24 hours. The Health Ministry has said that a total of 8,891 cases of the fast-spreading Omicron strain, which is driving the third wave of the pandemic across the world, have been confirmed so far. —According to the health officials, it is an increase of 8.31 per cent since January 17. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has also said that the country’s active caseload currently stands at 17.36 lakh and recovery rate is over 94 per cent.
NDTV – Dettol have been working towards a clean and healthy India since 2014 via Banega Swachh India initiative, which is helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan. The campaign aims to highlight the inter-dependency of humans and the environment, and of humans on one another with the focus on One Health, One Planet, One Future – Leaving No One Behind. It stresses on the need to take care of, and consider, everyone’s health in India – especially vulnerable communities – the LGBTQ population, indigenous people, India’s different tribes, ethnic and linguistic minorities, people with disabilities, migrants, geographically remote populations, gender and sexual minorities. In wake of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign will continue to raise awareness on the same along with focussing on the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children, fight malnutrition, mental wellbeing, self care, science and health, adolescent health & gender awareness. Along with the health of people, the campaign has realised the need to also take care of the health of the eco-system. Our environment is fragile due to human activity, that is not only over-exploiting available resources, but also generating immense pollution as a result of using and extracting those resources. The imbalance has also led to immense biodiversity loss that has caused one of the biggest threats to human survival – climate change. It has now been described as a “code red for humanity.” The campaign will continue to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and sanitation workers and menstrual hygiene. Banega Swasth India will also be taking forward the dream of Swasth Bharat, the campaign feels that only a Swachh or clean India where toilets are used and open defecation free (ODF) status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and the country can become a Swasth or healthy India.
[corona_data_new]
