India Coronavirus Dispatch: Glaring gaps at local level caused recent spike

UP adds drug without evidence, govt to seek $2.5 mn aid from ADB, and the role of communication in controlling Covid--news on how the country is dealing with the pandemic

UP adds drug without evidence: Uttar Pradesh has added ivermectin, an anti-parasitic drug, as a treatment and prophylaxis against coronavirus. The alarming fact is that the use of this drug against Covid-19 has no scientific basis yet. In fact, experts from the WHO have actually warned against using ivermectin. Similarly, the US FDA hasn’t approved it either and neither has India’s Health Ministry. UP state govt hospitals and rapid response teams, however, have been tasked with distributing the drug to those under quarantine. Experts who have studied the drug over years also advice against its usage in battling the pandemic.