While speaking at a press conference in New Delhi, Dr. Guleria also said that primary treatment for the disease is supportive in more than 80 per cent of patients, oxygen therapy in 15 per cent of patients, with other methods such as convalescent plasma.
His statement came in the context with the rising stigma in connection with the Covid-19 treatment in our country. He said that people with flu-like symptoms are not coming out for check-up due to stigma attached with the viral disease, which is, in turn, resulting in an increase in mortality rate.
"Because of the stigma attached to Covid-19, many patients with flu-like symptoms are not coming to health care facilities. They are coming out when they are breathless, and this is leading to higher mortality," he pointed out.
"We encourage everyone to seek medical help and get tested at the earliest rather than going to the hospital while gasping for breath," the AIIMS doctor said adding that majority of the Covid-19 patients only require supportive treatment.
"Only around 15 per cent patients require oxygen therapy along with drugs," he said. Further speaking about the development in making vaccine or finding a permanent treatment for Covid-19, Dr. Guleria said that Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) and other repurposed drugs, and newer drugs are being looked at.
"At various centres, we have started using convalescent plasma that is the blood of Covid-19 patients who have recovered. A large number of patients who have become alright have come forward & volunteered to donate their blood," he said.
Meanwhile, the Health Ministry today said that the rise in Coronavirus cases in the country has been more or less linear, not exponential. The country is experiencing 4.5 per cent positive cases among the tested people, which are similar to the situation a month ago before the lockdown was imposed, it added.
"No new case of Covid-19 was reported from 78 districts in the last 14 days. A total of 388 patients were cured in one day, the recovery rate is 19.89 per cent. There are 33 new districts in nine states from where no new case was reported in the last 14 days," said Luv Agarwal, Joint Secretary at the Union Health Ministry.
The total number of confirmed cases in India is 21,700. While 4,325 people have been cured so far, 681 persons have succumbed to the dreaded virus. The number of active cases in the country is 16,689. In the last 24 hours, 1,229 positive cases were reported from across the country.