What is PCR?
Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) – molecular genetic analysis. At this point in time, the PCR test for Covid-19 is one of the most effective methods for determining the infection in the patient’s body. If the patient has a significant number of coronavirus units in the body, the test results will be positive, even if the patient does not exhibit the corresponding symptoms.
The PCR test is recommended in the following cases:
- When there is a need to obtain confirmation or refutation of the presence of infection in the patient’s body;
- To make sure that the infected person has successfully completed the course of treatment and there is no longer the virus in their body.
How is coronavirus treated now?
Despite the fact that today doctors know much more about the course of the disease with the new coronavirus infection, there is no single treatment regimen for all patients with COVID-19.
In case of a mild course of the disease and in the absence of risk factors, the patient can undergo treatment at home under the supervision of a doctor .
In severe and moderate forms of coronavirus disease, the patient is hospitalized in an infectious diseases hospital or clinic specialized in the treatment of COVID-19.
Experience of treatment in Russia and the world, recommendations of the Ministry of Health and WHO
Among the drugs recommended by the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation are the following: favipiravir, remdesivir, interferon-alpha and umifenovir, as well as human immunoglobulins IgG. According to the latest data from WHO and the Ministry of Health, drugs containing hydroxychloroquine are not effective in treating COVID-19 and are excluded from the recommended list. According to the recommendation of the Ministry of Health (version 11 of 05/07/2021), glucocorticosteroids (for example, dexamethasone) should not be used to treat mild or moderate coronavirus. At the same time, WHO notes that the use of dexamethasone can reduce the length of stay on mechanical ventilation and save the lives of patients with severe and extremely severe disease.
