The Odisha government has decided to start Favipiravir therapy for COVID-19 patients in home isolation, an official said on October 5.

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This was decided during a high-level meeting chaired by the Chief Secretary. The patients will take the therapy under the advice and guidance of physicians. The Chief Secretary directed the health department to widely circulate the standard operating procedure (SOP) on the use of oral Favipiravir among the doctors. The health department has been asked to train the members of the rapid response teams (RRTs) properly for assessing the suitability of a patient in home isolation for the therapy. Nearly 80 percent of the positive patients are preferring home isolation in the state, said sources. "COVID-19 is an evolving crisis. The new clinical input and empirical evidence about the pandemic has proved the effectiveness of Favipiravir treatment as an antiviral therapy. It will save the patients in home isolation from turning serious. Many doctors and virus experts have said that the medicine will be helpful in COVID management to a large extent," said the Chief Secretary.

He advised that the medicine needs to be administered with proper advice and precaution. Further, the Chief Secretary asked a team of experienced doctors to advise the patients in home isolation via audio visual media about this therapy. The Additional Chief Secretary (Health) advised that the members of RRTs should properly explain to the patient and his/her care giver or family member about the use of oral Favipiravir, its side effects, precautions and actions to be taken by them after the initiation of the therapy.

The therapy would be started only after well-informed consent of the patient. The RRTs would deliver the medicine, detail information sheet, 'Dos and Don'ts' along with how and whom to report reactions/progress, he added. On the event of any major adverse reactions, the RRTs would coordinate shifting of the patient to appropriate COVID care facility.