Hello and welcome to Episode 8 of The Moving Curve, a 5-minute nightly podcast around the novel coronavirus epidemic in India. I’m Rukmini, a data journalist, and today I’m considering the question: how are hospitals treating the virus when there’ no known cure?
India’s COVID-19 treatment protocol: https://www.mohfw.gov.in/pdf/RevisedNationalClinicalManagementGuidelineforCOVID1931032020.pdf
ICMR March 23 hydroxychloroquine prophylactic advice: https://www.mohfw.gov.in/pdf/AdvisoryontheuseofHydroxychloroquinasprophylaxisforSARSCoV2infection.pdf
Jaipur’s HIV drug “success”: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/city-docs-cure-corona-patient-with-hiv-drugs/articleshow/74584859.cms
Subsequent ministry recommendation: https://www.news18.com/news/india/coronavirus-health-ministry-recommends-anti-hiv-drug-combination-lopinavir-ritonavir-on-case-to-case-basis-2539919.html
Trial showing Lopinavir-Ritonavir did not work: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/18/health/coronavirus-antiviral-drugs-fail.html
US FDA approval: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/03/30/coronavirus-drugs-hydroxychloroquin-chloroquine/
WHO’s large global trial: https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/03/who-launches-global-megatrial-four-most-promising-coronavirus-treatments
At the moment, treatment of COVID-19 patients is almost tragically routine, considering how extraordinary this pandemic has been. With untested treatment protocols come new risks. It’s not hard to understand the balancing act governments are having to play, both being safe and experimenting.
Thanks for listening. This episode was edited by Anand Krishnamoorthi. Tomorrow — a new question.
