Pune, Mar 18 (PTI) At least in three cases of Covid- 19 in Maharashtra, two anti-HIV drugs were given to the coronavirus-affected patients, said a health official on Wednesday.

Archana Patil, Directorate of Health Services (DHS), informed this during a press conference of Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope.

Asked about any instructions from ICMR to give anti- HIV drugs to coronavirus-affected patients which were successful in an Italian patient's case in Rajasthan, Tope said as far as he knows, only "symptomatic" treatment was given in these cases.

There was no anti-viral drug available right now, he said.

Patil, while elaborating on the anti-HIV drugs, said as per the instructions of ICMR, theantiretroviraltreatment can be started in the present case but not directly.

"The treatment is based on the seriousness of the patient. Out of 42 positive cases, in three cases, these two drugs, lopinavir and ritonavir, have been used," she said. PTI

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)