Italian Covid-19 Patient In Rajasthan Tests Negative After Being Treated With HIV, Swine Flu and Malaria Drugs

According to a Times of India report, the doctors in Sawai Man Singh Hospital in Jaipur, Rajasthan have successfully treated an Italian Covid-19 patient with a combination of HIV, swine flu and malaria drugs.

The patient came to India with her husband as part of a 23-member group to visit major tourist destinations in Rajasthan.

She and her husband were both diagnosed with Covid-19 by the National Institute of Virology, Pune on 3 March.

Afterwards, she was administered two drugs useful in HIV treatment - Lopinavir 200 mg/Ritonavir 50 mg twice a day. Besides, the doctors also gave her Oseltamivir, used in swine flu treatment, and Chloroquine, useful in the treatment of malaria.

“We provided her treatment following standard protocol and now she has tested negative for the disease, which is a major achievement for SMS Hospital doctors,” SMS medical college principal and controller Dr Sudhir Bhandari said.

Meanwhile, the patient’s husband, who is 69 years old and was already suffering from a lung ailment is still undergoing the treatment on non-invasive ventilator support.

The doctors have said that his condition is stable.

While the patient who has tested negative was offered to be shifted out of the isolation ward, she has chosen to stay in the same ward as her husband, the hospital staff informed.

Recently, WHO described the coronavirus outbreak as a pandemic and said Italy and Iran were on the frontline of the crisis.

Globally, more than 126,100 people have been infected and over 4000 people have died since the start of the outbreak in China.

Meanwhile, in India, over 1,500 people are under observation for coming in contact with 74 positive cases of coronavirus.

A 76-year-old man from Kalaburagi, Karnataka, who died on 10 March has become the first person to die of Covid-19 in India. He had a travel history of Saudi Arabia.

Meanwhile, the scientists around the world are working together to develop a vaccine against the novel virus behind Covid-19 infection.

Yesterday, it was reported that Israel’s Institute for Biological Research have recently had a significant breakthrough in production of antibodies for those who already have the coronavirus and development of a vaccine.

However, the institute denied a breakthrough and said that “the institute’s work is conducted according to an orderly work plan and it will take time. If and when there will be something to report, it will be done in an orderly fashion”.

In the race to develop a vaccine, scientists worldwide have come together in the spirit of co-operation

A vaccine development process is long and difficult, as it requires a series of tests and experiments that may last many months before the vaccination is deemed effective or safe to use.

Scaling up the production, making it available widely and quality control are some other challenges associated with vaccines.