Amid rising COVID-19 cases in India, for the first time a combination of two drugs, which is widely used for controlling HIV infection, was administered on an elderly Italian couple undergoing treatment at a Jaipur hospital for it.
The Drug Controller General of India has approved “restricted use” of the combination of medications lopinavir and ritonavir which are second-line HIV drugs, for treatment after the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) sought an emergency approval.
SMS Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr. D.S. Meena said the Italian couple had developed severe respiratory problems following which a decision was taken to put them on the drugs.
According to officials, the consent of the patients was taken before the drugs were administered.
“The Italian man, who himself is a doctor, is on oxygen support. Even before he acquired the infection, he had some respiratory issues. His condition had deteriorated and he developed severe respiratory problems after getting the infection and thus was given these drugs. His condition is stable now. His wife is also doing better and she is taking care of her husband,” Dr. Meena said.
The drug combination along with other drugs has been used in clinical trials in China, where the virus had first emerged, and Thailand.
The couple were among the 16 Italian tourists who along with their Indian guide had tested positive for COVID-19. Except the couple, the other tourists are admitted at the Medanta hospital while the Indian guide is being treated at the Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi.
According to Health Ministry officials, the number of confirmed cases in the country stood at 44. However, the ICMR has also counted three persons from Karnataka and two from Pune as positive, which once taken into account takes the total to 49.
