Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Government will provide antiviral drug Favipiravir to the asymptomatic and mild COVID-19 patients during home isolation.
In the initial phase, the home isolation COVID-19 positive patients in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and Puri will get the Favipiravir tablets, informed SCB MCH’s Head of Internal Medicine Dr Jayant Panda, who is also the State Government’s Technical Advisor on COVID-19.
In a press briefing, Dr. Panda said that a COVID-19 positive patient can take Favipiravir drug under medical supervision.
The State Government will distribute the antiviral drug in the three cities and extend the distribution to other places later on, he added.
Recently, the State Government has issued a standard operating procedure (SOP) on the use of Favipiravir tablet by Covid-19 patients who are in home isolation.
Since home isolation of asymptomatic and mild cases has come to an acceptable practice and a significant number of cases in the State are already under home isolation, the provision of tablet Favipiravir to eligible, symptomatic COVID-19 patients in home isolation has become a necessity, the government said.