Doctors Treating COVID-19 Patients: Different Drugs Leading The Fight Against Coronavirus

Nations around the world are trying their best to fight against COVID-19. This novel coronavirus has infected over 8 lakh people and claimed the lives of over 40,000.

With every passing day, the coronavirus is taking a tighter grasp on the lives of the people, halting the entire world in its way.

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However, medical warriors in protective clothing and face masks are doing whatever it takes to save the lives of those who are infected. And every nation today is trying a different approach to cure COVID-19, with respect to the choice of medications.

It is no news that there is no direct vaccine or treatment for the novel coronavirus and while many are under development, they¡¯ll take quite some time to be readily available in the market -- subject to rigorous testing and regulatory approval, of course.

However, until then, doctors are trying combinations of certain medications to ease the symptoms that patients are experiencing. And every country is trying its own set of combos that are working best in their favour. Here's how some countries around the world are offering to treat their patients suffering from COVID-19.

China

Let¡¯s start with the place where it all started. In China, over 82,431 people were infected with the novel coronavirus, and it claimed the lives of around 3,332 people. Doctors in China used a combination of several drugs in the initial stage to stabilise the pneumonia-like symptoms.

Reuters

But in the end, what worked for them was an anti-malarial drug called Chloroquine. Some doctors also recommended Favipiravir -- an antiviral drug from Japan. Along with this, it provided glucocorticoids to reduce inflammation and help open airways during respiratory disease.

Japan

Japan is another place where the novel coronavirus infected 2384 people while claiming the lives of 57. In Japan, doctors used Avigan (an antiviral drug) during the initial stages of COVID-19. While the drug has shown success in most cases, the drug hasn¡¯t worked effectively in severe cases of COVID-19.

India

The cases in India have been skyrocketing since the past few days. Today we have a total of 2032 infected cases and 58 deaths in total. The whole country is under lockdown to prevent the spreading of the novel coronavirus.

Reuters

Doctors in India are relying on Hydroxychloroquine, which is a slightly lighter variant of the Chloroquine that was used in China. Indian Council of Medical Research has recommended using this with azithromycin antibiotic to ease symptoms of patients. Doctors are also recommending oseltamivir (Tamiflu) in some cases. In extreme cases, doctors are also seen to give HIV drugs Lopinavir and Ritonavir, which worked for Italian patient in Jaipur.

United States

Today, United Staes sits on top in the number of infected cases at 216,786, with over 5148 people dead from the novel coronavirus.

Reuters

While medical authorities are fighting shortage of ventilators and medical supplies, they¡¯re relying on Remdesivir (recommended by National Institute of Health) an antiviral drug that is known to block RNA-dependent polymerase. Along with this, they¡¯re also using antimalarial drug Hydroxychloroquine.

Italy & France

The aftermath of COVID-19 infection is unprecedented, infecting over 110,574 and claiming the lives of a staggering 13,155. France, on the other hand, has 57,780 infected cases and 4083 deaths due to the novel coronavirus. Just like the US, both the European countries are relying on Remdesivir and Hydroxychloroquine for curing COVID-19 cases.

Reuters

South Korea

COVID-19 has wreaked havoc in South Korea too, infecting 9,976 and claiming lives of 169. However, COVID-19 cases in South Korea have reduced exponentially. While many are linking this to better civic co-operation with respect to self-quarantine and clarity in travel history, the drug that was used to cure infected patients is equally responsible.

The Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) approved the use of hzVSF v13 (humanized Virus Suppressing Factor; VSF) developed by Immunemed. Reports have revealed that 2 to 3 doses in patients have eliminated the presence of COVID-19 in just 10 days.

A 100-year-old Tuberculosis drug that can fight COVID-19

Apart from these drugs, scientists in Australia are trying to use Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) an immunity shot that usually works against TB, early-stage bladder cancer, and hope that the vaccine would have a similar effect on the Coronavirus. Even the World Health Organisation is encouraging international groups to try out BCG and note its effects.