Staff Reporter
UNION Health and Family Welfare Ministry has issued new clinical guidance for management of adult Covid-19 patients in the country. Under the new guidance, active tuberculosis has been added in the high risk disease for Covid-19. People above the age of 60, people having cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, HIV, chronic lung, kidney, liver disease, cerbrovascular disease and obesity are in the high risk category.
The new clinical guidance states that anti inflammatory or immunomodulatory therapy such as steroids can have risk of secondary infection such as invasive mucormycosis when used too early, at higher dose or for longer than required.
Health and Family Welfare Ministry has advised that remdesivir not to be used in patients who are not on oxygen support or in home settings. It said, remdesivir may be considered only in patients having moderate to severe disease of Covid-19 requiring supplemental oxygen. The guidance further states that Tocilizumab may be considered when rapidly progressing Covid-19 requires oxygen supplementation.