ICMR

On May 17th, the ICMR convened COVID-19 National Task Force dropped convalescent plasma therapy from its virus treatment protocol. The decision, it said, was based on multiple studies that have found little to no use of convalescent plasma in treating COVID-19. This comes close on the heels of a recent World Health Organization (WHO) announcement that there is still no evidence to suggest that the antiviral drug Remdesivir is useful in treating hospitalised COVID-19 patients.  While many doctors treating COVID patients say these announcements are leading to confusion and constricting the already limited treatment options available to them, others believe…

In a bid to test more people who may have possibly come in contact with COVID-19 patients, latest testing strategy laid out by the Indian Council of Medical Research is as follows:  1. All asymptomatic individuals who have undertaken international travel in the last 14 days:  - They should stay in home quarantine for 14 days.  - They should be tested only if they become symptomatic (fever, cough, difficulty in breathing)  - All family members living with a confirmed case should be home quarantined All symptomatic contacts of laboratory confirmed cases. 2. All symptomatic contacts of laboratory confirmed cases 3.…