The rising wave of the COVID-19 pandemic has seen India gear towards joining the World Health Organisation’s Solidarity Trial. This global initiative seeks to swiftly identify viable drugs for treating COVID-19. So far, India has been cautious and focused on its own initiatives, but a change in approach is being considered.
India’s Initial Stance
Despite international participation, India had previously resisted joining the global trial, citing a desire for large sample sizes for accurate results. However, with the surge in cases and the mounting challenges faced, this stance has shifted. The government has announced its intention to join in when the timing is appropriate, thus representing the Indian population in the trial.
Vaccine Development
In terms of vaccine development, India’s primary focus is on the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). However, with around 30 other active vaccine groups globally, the ICMR isn’t currently prioritizing vaccine development.
The Solidarity Trial
The Solidarity Trial offers an opportunity to test various drug combinations, including Remdesivir, lopinavir and ritonavir (anti-HIV drugs), interferon beta combined with lopinavir and ritonavir, and Chloroquine. These drugs will be compared with standard patient care in hospitals to evaluate their effectiveness.
Challenges in the Field
The current healthcare situation in India is highlighted by a shortage of medical devices and equipment, according to the Medical Technology Association of India (MTAI). Although the central government has exempted the manufacturing, warehousing, and distribution of these resources from the lockdown, state governments and local administrators have complicated this process by clamping down on these activities. This blockade has resulted in transport trucks supplying these crucial materials being stuck at city and state border checkpoints.
Import Delays
India has sought to import necessary probes and rapid testing kits from other countries, including China and Germany, as well as from the WHO. However, several delays have been reported. Despite these setbacks, it is crucial that these delays do not hamper the testing process.
Time Constraints
Given time constraints associated with developing a new cure, ICMR is focusing on repurposed drug molecules for a potential COVID-19 treatment.
The Role of Indian Scientists in the Pandemic
In response to the crisis, a group of Indian scientists formed the Indian Scientists’ Response to COVID-19 (ISRC). This voluntary body aims to help stem the coronavirus outbreak, raise awareness about the fast-changing situation, and emphasize the importance of science communication.
The ISRC line-up includes nearly 200 scientists from prominent institutions, all contributing their expertise to combat the pandemic. The goal is to analyze existing data and provide insight to aid the Central, State and local governments in their tasks. A range of working groups focus on various areas, including combating false information related to the coronavirus and popularizing scientific knowledge, such as quarantine guidelines. Other groups concentrate on resources in Indian languages, mathematical models and app development.
A prime recommendation from the group is to develop an app that can identify places being used as shelters and share this information with state governments. Additionally, a platform has been developed to connect people in need with those who can help, through channels like phone calls and WhatsApp. This platform helps link patients or individuals showing symptoms to doctors. Furthermore, it matches elderly people with volunteers from NGOs for assistance with daily tasks such as grocery shopping. All these efforts are in alignment with the government’s stance of tackling the pandemic collectively by calling on the individual and collective efforts of the scientific community.
