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There's still no proven treatment for Covid-19, but a number of trials are in the works. We don't know if any of them will show effectiveness against the novel coronavirus, but here are a few you might've heard of: (1/12)
Hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine. These related drugs are used to treat conditions like malaria and autoimmune diseases. (2/12)
There is limited evidence, partly from studies on human cells, that they could have antiviral effects -- one hypothesis being that they could make it harder for the novel coronavirus to enter human cells. (3/12) https://doi.org/10.7326/M20-1223
But scientists say the evidence isn't there, and history should make us cautious: In the past, chloroquine showed promise in vitro against influenza, but it ultimately didn't prevent infection in humans. (4/12) https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(11)70065-2/fulltext
The danger isn't just false hope. We've now seen shortages of these drugs, which people need for unrelated conditions. Some people have even overdosed and died after ingesting a non pharmaceutical version of chloroquine used to clean fish tanks. (5/12) https://cnn.it/2QXJZvG
Now, on to remdesivir. This is one of a number of antiviral treatments doctors are looking into, which may work by blocking the virus' ability to replicate. (6/12)
Remdesivir was developed by @GileadSciences and previously tested against #ebola and #MERS but has not been approved as a treatment for any disease. (7/12)
Other antiretroviral drugs are also being tested -- such as a combination of HIV drugs -- but a randomized trial published this month found that they did not improve seriously ill patients compared to standard care alone. (8/12) https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2001282
And then: convalescent plasma -- taking a component of blood from people who have recovered, with the hope that their antibodies could mitigate the virus' effects in people who have been exposed or infected. (9/12)
We’ve tested this with #ebola, too. But to get this up and running, we need to ramp up antibody testing — a blood test that is different from the nasal swab we’ve all been hearing about. (10/12)
This list isn't exhaustive, but again, it's important to know that, at this point, nothing has been proven to work. However, experts say we'll see results far sooner than a vaccine because we don't need so many months of follow-up. (11/12)
Right now, our best protection is preventative: Washing your hands, keeping a safe distance, and doing what you can to help the people around you. (12/12)
