Officials spot a silver lining in India’s Covid-19 battle; prep for dark clouds

India has ordered 11 times the projected requirement of the two drugs, hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin, that is believed to help coronavirus patients recover.

India appears to have been able to control the spread of the coronavirus cases to a large extent but is still preparing for the worst case scenario should it unfold, a top central government official said on Friday as states executed a hard lockdown in 1,200 containment zones in 8 states, and counting.

Doctors consulting patients in special fever desk at Ernakulam General hospital during the nationwide lockdown, in wake of coronavirus pandemic, in Kochi on Wednesday. (ANI)

But the optimistic assessment has not stopped the government from taking steps, the official who spoke on conditions of anonymity said, to ensure that state governments have more than enough quantities of hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin (an antibiotic), the two drugs that could be used to treat coronavirus disease.

The official, part of the empowered committee led by Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba that tracks acquisition of drugs, Covid-19 testing kits, masks and ventilators at a granular level, told HT that drug consignment were sent as gifts to SAARC, Mauritius and Seychelles only after securing supplies for the country.

In some studies, hydroxychloroquine when paired with azithromycin has been shown to clear patients of the virus at a much faster rate than seen usually. These studies had boosted global demand for the drugs. This week, India cleared their export from special economic zones to several countries such as the US, Brazil and Israel. “We are simply clearing the contracts based on the availability of any surplus stock,” explained a second government official familiar with development.

The efficacy of the two tablets, hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin, against Covid-19 is still not proven in rigorous tests usually carried out but the two drugs have held out hope in the world, and India.

The two drugs are only prescribed as a prophylactic for medical staffers in India.

According to the status report on the supply of the two drugs, the Centre has received 100 percent of Azithromycin 500 mg tablets and allocated 80 percent of the total supply to states and union territories. The remaining 20 percent has been kept for central institutions and agencies.

In case of hydroxychloroquine 200 mg, the government has more than ample supplies to meet its projected requirements till April 15, the official said.

But the Centre is making sure that the states never run out of them. “We have ordered 11 times the requirement that was projected to be prepared for just about any eventuality,” the official said.

Of this, the government has already received 20 percent of the supplies and sent a majority of this consignment to the states.

India has, according to the Union Health Ministry, over 6,400 Covid-19 cases. By this morning, the ministry confirmed 199 deaths. Experts have argued that one reason for India’s low Covid-19 positive numbers could be the smaller number of people who have been tested in comparison to other countries.

The number of Covid-19 testing centres - there was just one; Pune’s National Institute of Virology - when the disease reached India two months ago. Since then, India has been able to create more than 180 testing facilities including 65 in the private sector. More than 1.30 lakh people have been tested for coronavirus over the last two months. This week, the government updated its testing guidelines to cover “asymptomatic direct and high-risk contacts of a confirmed case” between days 5 and day 14 of coming in contact with a coronavirus patient.

The empowered committee has also placed orders for rapid testing kits from China even though this test is not the last word on confirmation. Besides, the European experience of these Chinese kits has neither been good or fool-proof.