India is witnessing an unprecedented rise in infected cases along with mortalities. Healthcare professionals and researchers are battling hard to combat the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and taking all possible measures to reduce the growing encumbrance of the disease but with the unavailability of COVID emergency treatment across the country due to a surge in cases, the issue of self-medication has become a talking point.
Broadly we see the following types of self-medication:
- Preventive measure
- Treatment option
- Some patients follow the prescription given by their doctor and add few medicines on their own
- Recovered patients who still test positive after 15 days restart the medication on their own.
People are more vigilant for the updates on COVID-19, particularly on treatments and preventive measures. Most people are relying on electronic media and social networking to get the latest and updated information related to the disease. On the other hand, increasing numbers of COVID-19-related issues like lack of hospital beds, unavailability of oxygen, medicines, and deaths are creating panic among the general public.
In such circumstances, whenever a person tests positive for COVID-19 there is a fear in his mind and also a false belief system gathered out of the social media where the prescriptions of recovered COVID patients are circulating. The person starts running around for medicines to get rid of COVID-19.
Unfortunately, there is a lot of misinformation about medicines. The kind of medicines prescribed, their dosage changes from patient to patient depending on age, the severity of COVID-19, comorbidities like diabetes, and a lot of other factors. One prescription does not serve all.
Popping antivirals, steroids, and antibiotics besides injecting antivirals like Remdesevir without consulting a doctor may pose consequences such as the emergence of antimicrobial-resistant microorganisms, hypersensitivity reactions as well as dose-dependent toxicities viz derma toxicity, cardiotoxicity, and hepatoxicity. Infectious diseases caused by antimicrobial-resistant microbes are difficult and, in some instances, impossible to treat thereby leading to increased morbidity and mortality among infected people.
Also Read: Diabetes And The Second Wave Of COVID-19
Steroids can increase the replication of the virus in the body. If taken in the early stages it can increase the severity of the damage caused by the virus. Inappropriate use of steroids also results in black fungus a leading cause of hospitalization and death post recovery from Covid. Remdesevir is given to hospitalized patients under the supervision of the doctor that too after the requisite tests of the liver and renal function.
Professor Puri from PGI Chandigarh said that more than 80 percent of people who test positive for COVID-19 may not require any medication. The major problem in COVID-19 is lung involvement which leads to the dropping of oxygen. If you keep monitoring the saturation by oximeter and if the saturation is at baseline there is no need to worry. Regardless of whether COVID-19 is mild or severe, consult the doctor immediately after testing positive help in early recovery. Since there is no cure, doctors are relying on medicines and medical procedures to treat complications of COVID-19.
It’s important for patients who are in home isolation to keep in touch with a doctor during isolation before taking any remedies and do not depend on uncontrolled amplified dissemination of news or information by the lay press, social media, relatives, and friends. Low levels of oxygen saturation, persistent cough, breathlessness, and feeling very weak should be treated as warning signs.
ETV Bharat Sukhibhava was in conversation with Swaroop Panda, A Pharma strategic Consultant, and he shared his valuable insights on self-medication and COVID.
