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Coronavirus Updates, March 10: Anti-HIV Drugs Used on Italian Couple at Jaipur Hospital

Coronavirus Updates, March 10: Anti-HIV Drugs Used on Italian Couple at Jaipur Hospital

New Delhi: Nine new cases of the novel coronavirus were reported in India on Tuesday, taking the total cases in the country to 56. Three new cases were reported in Karnataka, while six more were reported in Kerala. There have been no deaths from the infection in the country so far.

Jaipur: Drug used to control HIV infection administered to Italian couple

For the first time in India, a combination of two drugs, which is widely used for controlling the HIV infection, was administered to an elderly Italian couple undergoing treatment at a Jaipur hospital for Covid-19.

The Drug Controller General of India has approved “restricted use” of the combination of medications lopinavir and ritonavir for treating those affected by novel coronavirus after the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) sought an emergency approval for the same, according to news agency PTI.

Medical superintendent of SMS Hospital D.S. Meena said that the Italian man and his wife had developed severe respiratory problems, following which a decision was taken to put them on the combination of the two drugs.

The consent of the patients was taken before the drugs were administered.

“The Italian man, who himself is a doctor, is on oxygen support. Even before he acquired the infection, he had some respiratory issues. His condition had deteriorated and he developed severe respiratory problems after getting the coronavirus infection and thus was given these drugs. His condition is stable now. His wife is also doing better and she is taking care of her husband,” Dr Meena said.

The combination of lopinavir and ritonavir, along with other drugs, has been used in clinical trials in China, where the virus first emerged. It has also been used in Thailand for treating Covid-19 patients.

Two test positive in Pune, family members admitted to hospital

A day after two patients tested positive for novel coronavirus in Pune, district authorities on Tuesday said their family members have been admitted to the Naidu Hospital and their samples have been sent for testing to the National Institute of Virology.

Divisional commissioner Deepak Mhaisekar said the two Covid-19 patients were part of a group of 40 people which landed at Mumbai airport on March 1 from Dubai. They took a cab to Pune.

The cab driver and three family members of the patients have been admitted to the Naidu hospital and their samples sent to NIV for testing. The list of 40 people who were with the two patients has been received and district authorities have been told to conduct medical examinations on them.

Medics screen tourists in the wake of the novel coronavirus scare at a hotel in Bikaner, March 8, 2020. Photo: PTI

IAF brings back 58 Indians from Iran

The Indian Air Force (IAF) on Tuesday brought back 58 Indians from Iran in a military transport aircraft. The aircraft, a C-17 Globemaster, was sent to Tehran from Hindon airbase near Ghaziabad on Monday evening.

IAF spokesperson, Group Captain Anupam Banerjee, said the aircraft evacuated 25 men, 31 women and two children. It also brought swab samples of 529 Indians which will be tested for infection.

About 2,000 Indians are living in Iran, a country that has witnessed increasing numbers of coronavirus cases in the past few days. According to latest reports, over 237 people have died of coronavirus infection in Iran, while more than 7,000 cases have been reported.

The official said the Indian citizens who have returned from Iran have been quarantined at a medical facility in Hindon. It was the second such evacuation by the C-17 Globemaster in the last two weeks.

Kerala reports six new cases

Six more cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in Kerala on Tuesday, and the total number of infected people now stands at 12.

Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that those with the infection include three who had come from Italy and eight who came in contact with them. He was addressing the press after a special cabinet meeting.

A three-year-old child, who returned along with his parents from the European nation, had tested positive in Kochi on Monday. The samples of his parents have also been sent for testing and the results are awaited, Vijayan said.

The chief minister said that 1,116 people are under surveillance in the state. India’s first three positive cases, were reported from Kerala but they have been treated and discharged from hospitals.

Three new cases in Karnataka

As many as three new cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in Karnataka on Tuesday, taking the total number of infected people in the state to four.

Health minister B. Sriramulu said that he patients and their family members have been quarantined.

Meanwhile, chief secretary T.M. Vijay Bhaskar convened a meeting with the health department officials to assess the state’s preparedness and ensure public safety.

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