The Union Health Ministry has conveyed it's dubitation regarding the WHO’s advisory to suspend the use of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) in COVID-19 patients. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has also expressed its disagreement with the WHO citing differences in dosage standards of HCQ. The current protocols set by the Indian government to treat severe COVID-19 patients requiring ICU management include the use of HCQ. In India, the HCQ dosages administered in patients include 400 mg HCQ twice a day on the first day, followed by 200 mg HCQ twice a day for the next four days.
Hence, the total dosage administered to a patient over five days is around 2400 mg. In the Solidarity trial being conducted by the WHO, the COVID-19 patients are being administered two loading doses of 800 mg HCQ in an interval of six hours, followed by two doses of 400 mg per day for ten days. The total…
