oronavirus in India: The quarantine facility in Manesar set up by the army. (Express Photo: Gajendra Yadav/File) oronavirus in India: The quarantine facility in Manesar set up by the army. (Express Photo: Gajendra Yadav/File)

There is no specific treatment. Patients are mostly given medicines for symptomatic relief — for example, paracetamol to bring down fever, sometimes medicines for relief from pain. Care is also taken to ensure they stay hydrated.

The mortality of the virus is a little over 3%, and for most patients the body’s own immune system succeeds in fighting the virus. This is what happened with the first three cases in India — students from Kerala, who had come back from Wuhan. They showed steady improvement with symptomatic treatment, and eventually recovered and went home.

ICMR has obtained permission for “restricted use in public health emergency” of two second-line HIV medications to fight the novel coronavirus. Top Health Ministry officials said the combination of lopinavir and ritonavir has been approved for emergency medical use. Guidelines have been framed for the use of these drugs. Officials said the drugs are to be used only for the “vulnerable”, as they are not without side effects.

However, WHO Chief Scientist Dr Soumya Swaminathan had told The Indian Express last week: “Some small trials (of the combination) in China have reported negatives.”

Seventy per cent of HIV-positive individuals in India are on first-line drugs. The medicines are manufactured in India mainly for export, mostly to African countries.

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