new delhi the ministry of health and family welfare has issued revised guidelines for covid19 in the wake of the surge of cases in the past week across the countryantibiotics should not be used unless there is clinical suspicion of bacterial infection the possibility of coinfection of covid19 with other endemic infections must be considered systemic corticosteroids are not indicated in mild disease revised guidelines saidas per the revised covid19 guidelines maintain physical distancing indoor mask use hand hygiene symptomatic management hydration antipyretics antitussive monitor temperature and oxygen saturation by applying a spo probe to fingers stay in contact with treating physicianseek immediate medical attention if difficulty breathing highgrade fever severe cough particularly if lasting for more than 5 days a low threshold is to be kept for those with any of the highrisk features guidelines discussed and prepared in january said additionally in moderate or severe diseases at high risk of progression the guidelines recommend consider remdesivir for up to 5 days 200 mg iv on day 1 followed by 100 mg iv od for the next 4 daysunion health and family welfare ministry on thursday wrote to the state governments of maharashtra gujarat telangana tamil nadu kerala and karnataka to follow a fivefold strategy of test track treat and vaccinations as these states witness a rise in covid19 casesindia has observed a significant decline in the number of covid19 cases during the past few months however in the past few weeks a rise in cases has been noted specifically in certain parts of the country with a total of 2082 cases reported in the week ending march 8 2023 which rose to 3264 cases in the week ending march 15 said the union home ministrys letter there are few states which are reporting a higher number of cases indicating the possible localized spread of infection and there is a need to follow a risk assessmentbased approach to prevent and contain the infection without losing the gains made so far in the fight against the pandemic said the union health ministrygujarat has reported an increase in weekly cases from 105 in the week ending march 8 2023 to 279 in the week ending march 15 further the state reported a positivity rate of 111 per cent in the week ending march 15 which is higher than indias positivity rate of 061 per cent during the same period the letter said