Favilavir or Favipiravir is an antiviral drug, which has shown efficacy in treating COVID-19. This drug is taken orally and has been approved by The Drug Controller General of India (DCGI). It can be used to treat mild to moderately serious covid patients.
Why is it safe to take Favipiravir?
With the shocking increase in the COVID-19 cases, medical professionals have been looking for more and more ways to treat this peculiar virus.
Favipiravir was first utilized in Wuhan, and with rising cases spreading to other countries, it started receiving approval in countries like Italy, Russia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Moldova, Japan, Saudi Arabia, etc. In June 2020, favipiravir was approved in India by the DCGI for treating COVID-19 patients.
Favipiravir has shown efficacy against a wide range of influenza viruses. Along with that, it may also halt the replication of several other RNA viruses, including hantaviruses, flaviviruses, Noroviruses, Ebola Virus, etc.
The medical professionals in India have ranked Favipiravir as one of the most promising drugs for treating COVID-19, based on the strength of the scientific evidence, availability of human safety data, progress of clinical trials in COVID-19, and certainty of being manufactured. All of these factors have contributed to making favipiravir one of the most promising and safe drugs in this pandemic.
To sum up, favipiravir, owing to all the factors mentioned above, has proven to be an effective drug for treating patients who have tested positive for COVID-19. Favipiravir is a promising drug that has shown a great deal of efficacy and has proven to decrease the need for a hospital stay as well as the need for medical ventilation.
Dr. Meghana Pande is a physician and critical care specialist with a rich experience of 15 yrs, located in Hadapsar, Pune. She has completed her MBBS from DY Patil medical college Mumbai. She has done her post-graduation ( DNB Internal Medicine) from central railway hospital, Mumbai. She then pursued critical care medicine and mastered the subject with an IDCCM degree from the prestigious Lilavati hospital Mumbai. Dr. Meghana Pande is an experienced and skilled dr in her field of specialization. She has conducted workshops in trauma care, ATLS, ACLS, and BLS.
She has worked in Wockhardt hospital Nashik and single-handedly managed a 22 bed ICU and 8-bed cardiac care unit. She has also worked at Columbia Asia hospital Pune and is currently attached to Sahyadri hospital Hadapsar Pune. She is presently working as a senior consultant physician and intensivist and heading the department of emergency medicine.
Critical Care Specialist in Hadapsar, Pune Dr. Meghana Pande has a strong interest and experience in complicated respiratory, cardiovascular, diabetes, gastrointestinal, endocrine neurological disorders, and geriatric health.
She was also at the forefront providing her expertise in the management of covid 19 patients during the pandemic. She comes with rich experience of 15 yrs in critical care illnesses and management, internal medicine including management of e-ICU and ECMO.
