Dr Balram Bhargava, ICMR Director General and Secretary, Health Research, told the media on Monday that they were recommending hydroxychloroquine (used for the treatment of autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis) for preventive use in only health workers or people at home caring for COVID-19 patients. US President Donald Trump had recommended hydroxychloroquine and antibiotic Azithromycin to be used for coronavirus. Answering a question about available stocks of hydroxychloroquine in the country, Dr Bhargava said, “We have recommended its use as prophylactic in two very specific groups of people. For that, there is enough stock.” The drug can be given only on the prescription of a registered medical practitioner and cannot be given to children aged less than 15 years or with conditions such as retinopathy and hypersensitivity to hydroxychloroquine and 4-aminoquinoline compounds. The ICMR also underlined that the intake of the medicine should not instill “a sense of false security”. Twelve private laboratory chains with some 15,000 collection centres between them have been approved for COVID-19 testing now and the requirement of FDA-approved kits has been relaxed for them. Two indigenous testing kits have been cleared after validation by the National Institute of Virology. The additional laboratories that have been approved are Dept of Clinical Virology, CMC, Vellore; Department of Laboratory Services, Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Ltd, Chennai (Tamil Nadu); SRL Laboratories in Mumbai; Supratech Micropath Laboratory & Research Institute in Ahmedabad; Apollo Hospitals in Hyderabad; Dr Lal Pathlabs, Dr Dangs Lab, and Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals in Delhi; and Strand Life Sciences and SRL Laboratories in Gurgaon. On Sunday, six laboratories had been approved. In a paper in the Indian Journal of Medical Research, ICMR scientists approved of the lockdown. “Based on the initial understanding of the spread of COVID-19 infection, the mathematical modelling done by ICMR suggests that entry screening of travellers with symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 can delay the introduction of the virus into the community by 1-3 weeks. Strictly implemented social distancing measures such as home quarantine of symptomatics and suspected cases will reduce the overall expected number of cases by 62% and the peak number of cases by 89%, thus ‘flattening’ the curve and providing more opportunities for interventions,” the paper said. Here's a quick coronavirus guide for you to stay updated: Who all should be tested for Covid-19 and when? | How should you quarantine yourself? | How often (and how) should you clean your home? | What is the Janata Curfew announced by PM Modi? | Who are restricted from coming to India, and from when? | How long can the virus live on surfaces or in air around you? | Still more Coronavirus Q&A Explained news here
