COVID-19:Chemists told to keep record of people buying flu medicines

Health advisories have been issued to medicine shops in Odisha as well as in some districts of Bihar to keep a record of people purchasing flu medicines as authorities suspect they could be used to suppress symptoms of coronavirus with an intent to skip testing.

The Drug Controller Administration under the Health and Family Welfare department of Odisha has asked pharmacists to note the address or at least telephone number of the persons buying medicines for cold, cough and sneezing.

"We have been collecting data in order to ascertain the ratio of population vulnerable to cold and fever. There is no reason to be worried about. The data may be used in extreme case in future," M Patnaik, the Drugs Controller of Odisha, told PTI.

In Bihar, though the health department denied issuing any such directive, but district administration of Bhojpur and Rohtas have sent a note to the chemists to this effect.

Reports suggest that a large number of people are buying medicines like paracetamol which .