Remdesivir is one of the most widely prescribed drugs used all across the globe to treat severe Covid-19 cases. As the second wave of coronavirus is wreaking havoc in India, the demand for Remdesivir has raised sky high, and the drug is being even sold on the black markets at a huge price. And now, AIIMS director Dr Rahul Guleria has suggested that Remdesivir is not a magic bullet. He also urged people not to misuse this drug, as it is only needed for people whose oxygen saturation level falls below 93.
Remdesivir is not a magic drug to treat coronavirus infection
"Remdesivir is not a magic bullet, it's given to only patients who are hospitalized, have moderate to severe disease & whose oxygen saturation is below 93...Don't misuse Oxygen & Remdesivir. Most patients can recover by isolating at home," said Guleria.
According to Guleria, doctors can prescribe Remdesivir if the patient's X-ray, CT scan or blood reports suggest that the infection may be moving towards moderate or severe disease.
Guleria also added that most of the people who are suffering from coronavirus infection can recover by isolating themselves in their homes. He made it clear that mild cases of Covid infection do not require hospitalization, steroids, Remdesivir, or oxygen cylinders.
Can India flatten the coronavirus curve?
At one point in time, India had shown strong signs of flattening the coronavirus curve. However, by March, coronavirus positive cases in the country started surging dramatically, and on April 24, the country witnessed more than 3,49,000 positive cases and over 2,700 deaths.
Even though several states in the country have imposed strict restrictions to curb the spread of the pandemic, coronavirus cases in the country continue to rise dramatically in all nooks of the nation.
Dr Naveet Wig, AIIMS HoD of Medicine revealed that the country could bring down the Covid test positivity rate to less than five percent in the next three weeks.
"We can bring down the positivity rate to less than 5% in India, in the next 3 weeks if we all take responsibility and abide by Covid appropriate behavior," said Wig, Times of India reports.
