Hydroxychloroquine To Ivermectin, Indians Are Self-Medicating Against COVID And It Is Dangerous

As the number of COVID-19 cases in India grows exponentially an increasing number of patients, especially those with mild to moderate symptoms are isolating at home.

While many of them do not need much mediation, except for fever and cough an increasing number of patients are resorting to self medicate.

Even when they have the option to consult doctors online, many are skipping this and are popping antibiotics, which have no benefits when it comes to treating COVID-19.

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Frenzy for wonder drugs

Right from the start doctors had tried repurposing existing drugs to treat COVID-19 and so far non of them have been proven effective.

It all started with Hydroxychloroquine, followed by remdesivir, fabiflu, ivermectin, to name a few.

Despite doctors repeatedly saying that these drugs have little to no effect on COVID-19 patients, the frenzy around them means that people are still buying them even at inflated prices and even without a proper prescription.

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In fact, the anti-viral drug Favipiravir, marketed by Mumbai-based Glenmark as Fabiflu had rocketed to the rank of the largest-selling pharma brand in April for the first time ever in the domestic retail market.

Ivermectin is also seeing a similar craze with two states, Goa and Uttarakhand already announcing that the tablet will be distributed to everyone in the state.

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What the guidelines say

The World Health Organization (WHO) says on the subject of coronavirus cures that scientists around the world are working to find and develop COVID-19 treatments and the agency does not recommend self-medication with any medicines as a prevention or cure.

Doctors and national guidelines suggest that people who had mild infection and did not have to be hospitalised, should not go for retesting. However, this has not deterred many from taking medications on their own.

Not only that the medicines do not have any benefits, but it can also result in shortages of the same in the open market, leaving those who need them in the lurch.

The darker side of self-medication is it can be dangerous.

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What doctors say

The liver, one of the most vital organs of the human body could get impacted due to self-administered medications, warned doctors.

"Use of self-prescribed antibiotics is a common practice by many individuals, especially in India, to fight ailments like fever, cough, cold, which are also considered common symptoms of Covid-19. However, it is important to note that antibiotics do not work against viruses; and they only work on bacterial infections," said Dr. N.Y. Prashanth Chandra, Consultant - Internal Medicine, Gleneagles Global Hospitals.

"Covid-19 is caused by a virus, so antibiotics do not work, and antibiotics should not be used as a means of prevention or treatment of Covid-19. It is important people understand this fundamental difference before opting for any self-prescribed treatment protocols," he said.

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According to Dr. Anusha Karra, Internal Medicine, Western Plains Hospital, Dodge City, the US, physicians at hospitals might sometimes use antibiotics to prevent or treat secondary bacterial infections which can be a complication of Covid-19, and that too among severely ill patients. "This medication should only be used under supervision of a physician to treat a bacterial infection. Instead, using antibiotics as immunity boosters could lead to arrhythmias and complicate the health condition," he added.