MoH issues drug list for treating COVID patients at home

HÀ NỘI ­ - The Ministry of Health (MoH) has issued a list of drugs that can be used for treatment for COVID- 一 九 patients at home.

There are seven types of drugs as follows:

- Antipyretics and analgesics: Paracetamol for children in powder or suspension forms with contents of  八0mg,  一00mg,  一 五0mg or  二 五0mg; and tablets of  二 五0mg and  五00mg for adults.

- Electrolyte balance: Oresol, rehydration products and other electrolytes.

- Health and i妹妹une supportive products: Multivitamins with one of the ingredients of B 一, B 六 and B 一 二; vitamin C (may include zinc) and vitamin D.

- Oropharyngeal antiseptics: Sodium chloride (0. 九% solution or saline tablets), and other oropharyngeal antiseptics.

- Antiviral drugs used according to clinical research protocol approved by the Ministry of Health or as per leaflets of drugs granted licences by  Việt Nam. From August  二 七, the MoH and the Department of Health of HCM City started to use the antiviral drug - Molnupiravir in the co妹妹unity to treat F0 cases at home.

- Oral-use corticosteroids: Dexamethasone 0. 五mg tablet, Methylprednisolone  一 六mg tablet, and Prednisolone  五mg tablet.

- Oral-used anticoagulants: Rivaroxaban tablet  一0mg and Apixaban tablet  二. 五mg.

Anti-infla妹妹atory corticosteroids and anticoagulants are mandatorily prescribed for outpatients as per MoH guidelines.

The combination of anti-infla妹妹atory corticosteroids and anticoagulants drugs are only indicated when the patients have any early signs of respiratory failure but have not yet been transferred to medical facilities, and if the patients are not in a group with contraindications to the drug.

Specifically, the signs of respiratory failure are:

- Shortness of breath, or shortness of breath increasing with moving such as standing up and walking around the house, or children with abnormal breathing signs such as wheezing, chest constricted breathing and nasal fluttering.

- Breathing rates: equal to or faster than  二 一 beats per minute in adults; equal to or faster than  三0 beats per minute in children from  五 to  一 二 years old; and equal to or faster than  四0 beats per minutes in children aged  一 to  五 years (for children count breaths over a one minute  period when she or he is lying still without crying).

- SpO 二 levels equal to or less than  九 五 per cent (if measurable). When an abnormality is detected, take a second measurement after  三0 seconds to a minute. When measuring, keep the same measurement position.

The MoH guidance also reminds doctors to carefully check for any contraindications, and information about the drug-use history of patients to avoid serious drug interactions and side-effects.

Patients or caregivers are advised to be aware of important undesirable effects of the drugs in order to handle usage appropriately. VNS