A common prescription pill, approved more than 13 years ago by the Food and Drug Administration for Depression and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, shows initial success in preventing people infected with COVID-19 from developing severe symptoms. and be hospitalized.
The drug Fluvoxamine, sold under the brand name Luvox, appears to prevent inflammation in the lungs of people infected with COVID-19, which can be fatal.
“What we observed was that all the patients who received fluvoxamine, none of them had a severe COVID infection that affected the lungs or the respiratory state,” said Dr. Caline Mattar, a researcher in infectious diseases at the University. from Washington to St. perform a first trial of the drug last fall.
Now, the University of Washington, along with Northwestern University, the University of Minnesota, the University of Washington and the University of Utah, are conducting a larger trial of Fluvoxamine, giving a two-week course of the drug to patients.
“I feel so much better: I haven’t had a fever; I haven’t had a cold; the congestion is gone,” said Eduardo Veliz of Los Angeles, who tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this month. ‘agreement to be part of the great Fluvoxamine trial.
Veliz told the I-Team that he began to feel much better after five days at trial. “My taste is back,” Veliz said.
Fluvoxamine, which costs about $ 10 for a two-week supply, has recently shown real results in preventing serious COVID disease.
Last November, at the Golden Gate Fields Racecourse in Berkeley, 200 workers tested positive for COVID-19. The track doctor, Dr. David Seftel, had read about the initial success of Fluvoxamine and offered it to infected workers.
On Monday, Dr Seftel published the promising results of his treatment in Oxford Academic. Sixty-five workers took Fluvoxamine for two weeks and none developed severe symptoms of COVID-19 and none had to be hospitalized.
But of the 48 employees who rejected the drug, 60% had symptoms and 12.5% had to be hospitalized.
Some seniors have received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, but many are concerned about getting a second dose on time. Joel Grover reported to NBC4 News on Tuesday, January 26, 2021.
Researchers say there are great benefits to testing existing FDA-approved drugs in patients with COVID, also known as “reusing” the drugs.
“They’ve been around for quite some time, we know they’re safe, they’re available, they’re usually relatively cheaper,” Dr. Mattar of the University of Washington said.
Critical care physicians treating COVID patients are excited about the possibility of having more medications that can keep people out of overcrowded hospitals.
“I hope you are optimistic about Fluvoxamine … now, this should continue in larger trials in real patients,” Dr. Raj Dasgupta told USC’s Keck Hospital
Real patients, such as Eduardo Veliz of Los Angeles, are also optimistic, though not sure if they are taking Fluvoxamine or the placebo given to some trial participants.
“Everything I’m taking, has been helping me,” Veliz told the I-Team.
“Our goal is to help patients who are initially well enough to be at home and prevent them from getting sick enough to be hospitalized,” Dr. Mattar told NBC4.
Patients with COVID who want to be part of the large Fluvoxamine trial can learn more at StopCovidTrial.wustl.edu