Convalescent Plasma Therapy, Antiviral Drugs Taken out from COVID-19 Manual

TheIndonesia.id - Five medical professional associations have excluded a number of antiviral medicines and therapy from the latest edition of COVID-19 manual because they haven’t been found to to work to treat or cure the coronavirus disease.

Chair of Indonesian Society of Respirology’s (PDPI) working group Erlina Burhan said the decision to take some of the options out was based on the latest information from the World Health Organization (WHO).

“WHO has announced several medicines that don’t work against COVID-19, and we adopt that,” Burhan said during the launch of the fourth edition of COVID-19 manual on Wednesday, February 9, as reported by Antara.

In addition to convalescent plasma therapy, antiviral drugs Ivermectin, Hidroksiklorokun, Azitromisin, and Oseltamivir have also been excluded from the manual.

According to Burhan, Ivermectin and convalescent plasma therapy were included in the previous edition as part of the additional options to treat COVID-19 patients based on medical recommendation.

Meanwhile, Hidroksiklorokun, Azitromisin, and Oseltamivir were taken out prior to the launch of the third edition.

With updates and adjustments made to the manual, Burhan said all medical workers are prohibited from using the therapy and antiviral drugs on COVID-19 patients.

The fourth edition of the manual was written by five medical professional associations, which are Indonesian Society of Internal Medicine (PAPDI), Indonesian Society of Respirology, Indonesian Society of Anesthesiology and Intensive Therapy (PERDATIN), Indonesian Heart Association (PERKI), and Indonesian Pediatric Society (IDAI).

Besides updates on relevant medicines, this latest edition also contains information, including on the definition of Omicron “probable” case based on PCR-STGF (S-gene target failure) and confirmed Omicron case based on whole genome sequencing (WGS).

The manual emphasizes that COVID-19 patients who experience mild or no symptoms can be treated through self- or centered-isolation. And hospital treatments are focused for patients who develop severe symptoms and in critical condition.

It also contains updates on ICU admission criteria and the characteristics of critically ill COVID-19 patients for early detection of deterioration, as well as information on types, doses and, methods of administering new vaccines as part of national prevention efforts.

The manual will be distributed to all health workers in hospital across Indonesia.