Potential hope for Coronavirus treatment...

[missy]

Yay...some potentially good/hopeful news!

NIH clinical trial of remdesivir to treat COVID-19 begins

Study enrolling hospitalized adults with COVID-19 in Nebraska.

www.nih.gov

Science | AAAS

www.sciencemag.org

Clinical Trials Underway to Test Remdesivir for COVID-19 - Pulmonology Advisor

The first US clinical trial to assess the efficacy and safety of an investigational broad-spectrum antiviral agent, remdesivir (Gilead Sciences, Inc.), for the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019.

www.pulmonologyadvisor.com

Coronavirus Susceptibility to the Antiviral Remdesivir (GS-5734) Is Mediated by the Viral Polymerase and the Proofreading Exoribonuclease

Emerging coronaviruses (CoVs) cause severe disease in humans, but no approved therapeutics are available. The CoV nsp14 exoribonuclease (ExoN) has complicated development of antiviral nucleosides due to its proofreading activity. We recently reported that the nucleoside analogue GS-5734...

mbio.asm.org

Role of GS-5734 (Remdesivir) in inhibiting SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV: The expected role of GS-5734 (Remdesivir) in COVID-19 (2019-nCoV) - VYTR hypothesis. | International Journal of Research in Pharmaceutical Sciences

Coronaviruses (CoVs) are enveloped RNA viruses related to the family Coronaviridae, the order Nirdovales, and observed in humans and other mammals. In December 2019, many pneumonia cases reported by patients with unknown causes, mainly associated with seafood and wet animal market in Wuhan...

pharmascope.org

The antiviral compound remdesivir potently inhibits RNA-dependent RNA polymerase from Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus

Calvin J Gordon, Egor P Tchesnokov, Joy Y. Feng, Danielle P Porter, Matthias Gotte

www.jbc.org

We are still 12-18 months away from a vaccine but this is a ray of hope indeed!!!

 

[Dandi]

Australian researchers have made an important discovery in the race to find a COVID-19 vaccine

The finding is a significant step towards the eventual development of a coronavirus vaccine.

www.sbs.com.au

Researchers want to trial drug ‘cure’ for coronavirus on patients

A team of Australian researchers say they’ve found a cure for the novel coronavirus and hope to have patients enrolled in a nationwide trial by the end of the month.

www.news.com.au

@missy those people are so amazing!

 

[missy]

It started out as a potential treatment for Ebola (for which it was unsuccessful) but now it just might prove successful for Covid-19...fingers and toes crossed.

https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMe1915350

 

[missy]

Australian researchers have made an important discovery in the race to find a COVID-19 vaccine

The finding is a significant step towards the eventual development of a coronavirus vaccine.

www.sbs.com.au

Researchers want to trial drug ‘cure’ for coronavirus on patients

A team of Australian researchers say they’ve found a cure for the novel coronavirus and hope to have patients enrolled in a nationwide trial by the end of the month.

www.news.com.au

@missy those people are so amazing!

Yasssss!
Feeling a ray of brightness during this dark time and feeling much more hopeful. I saw a family on the news whose husband (in his forties) was dying from Covid-19 and given this drug and he is recovering!!!

 

[Dandi]

Oh my, that is amazing. This has actually really boosted my spirits. Thank you for posting!

 

[House Cat]

First Person Injected With Trial Coronavirus Vaccine In Seattle

43-year old Jennifer Haller from Seattle was the first person to be injected with a new trial coronavirus vaccine on Monday. Researchers will follow her and 44 other people for 12 months to evaluate the vaccine.

www.forbes.com

 

[Arcadian]

The coronavirus turns deadly when it leads to ‘cytokine storm’; diagnosis is key to patient’s survival

“The virus matters, but the host response matters at least as much, and probably more,” University of Iowa virologist Stanley Perlman says.

www.masslive.com

cytokine storms are very deadly as they lead to sepsis.

@MakingTheGrade these things are probably up your alley more than mine. My husband (researcher) has also talked about this and how to shut these things down. (he's not in epi, but seems that all areas of science is talking about this thing right now)

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)30566-3/fulltext

There's a lot of pretty deep science here which goes over my head

 

[Austina]

I was reading about this yesterday evening @missy, let’s hope with all the scientific knowledge we have in this world, that they can get a suitable vaccine as quickly and as safely as possible. Kudos to those putting themselves forward to be the test patients for potential vaccines.

 

[Queenie60]

Corona virus suggestions
My classmate's nephew graduated with a master's degree, and works in Shenzhen Hospital. He is being transferred to study Wuhan pneumonia virus. He just told me to tell my friends: If you have a runny nose and sputum when you have a cold, you cannot be a new type of coronavirus pneumonia, because coronavirus pneumonia is a dry cough without runny nose. This is the simplest way to identify. Please tell your friends that if you know more about medical knowledge, you will have more awareness of identification and prevention. This time, the Wuhan virus is not heat-resistant and will be killed at a temperature of 26-27 degrees. Therefore, drink more hot water. You can tell your friends and relatives to drink more hot water to prevent it. Go under the Sun. It has been cold recently, and drinking hot water is also very comfortable. It is not a cure and is good for the body. Drinking warm water is effective for all viruses. Try not to drink ice, remember! Doctor's advice about coronavirus: 1. It is pretty large in size (cell is about 400-500nm diameter), so any normal mask (not just the N95 feature) should be able to filter it out. However, when someone who's infected sneezes in front of you, it will take a great 3 meters (about 10 feet) before it drops to the ground and is no longer airborne. 2. When the virus drops on metal surface, it will live for at least 12 hours. So remember if you come in contact with any metal surface, wash your hands with soap thoroughly. 3. The virus can remain active on fabric for 6-12 hours. Normal laundry detergent should kill the virus. For winter clothing that does not require daily washing, you can put it out under the sun to kill the virus. About the symptoms of the pneumonia caused by Coronavirus: 1. It will first infect the throat, so the throat will have the dry sore throat feeling which will last for 3 to 4 days 2. Then the virus will blend into the nasal fluid and drips into the trachea and enter the lungs, causing pneumonia. This process will take 5 to 6 days. 3. With pneumonia, comes high fever and difficulty in breathing. The nasal congestion is not like the normal kind. You will feel like you are drowning in water. It's important to go seek immediate medical attention if you feel like this. About prevention: 1. The most common way of getting infected is by touching things in public, so you must wash your hands frequently. The virus can only live on your hands for 5-10 mins, but a lot can happen in those 5-10 mins (you can rub your eyes or pick your nose unwittingly). 2. Aside from washing your hands frequently, you can gargle with Betadine Sore Throat Gargle to eliminate or minimize the germs while they are still in your throat (before dripping down to your lungs).



This was posted in a neighborhood forum that I subscribe to. May have some good information and advise. This is not written by me, I just copied and pasted this message. Q

 

[Arcadian]

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Gov. Ron DeSantis will sign an executive order to close all bars and nightclubs in Florida for the next 30 days. The closure begins Tuesday at 5 p.m.

DeSantis said restaurants can remain open, but can only have 50 percent capacity so patrons can maintain social distancing. The tables must be six feet apart.

about time! probably got harassed into it by Rick Scott. Pretty sure we'd be under a shelter in place if Scott was still governer.

 

[Arcadian]

OK guys I posted something from the lancet, here's another study (sorry about the above post, brain fart, posted in the wrong area)

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)30305-6/fulltext

Not sure if its posted yet but again they're discussing cytokine storms and ferritin levels.

What is it about this virus that causes that to happen so quickly?

 

[arkieb1]

Yasssss!
Feeling a ray of brightness during this dark time and feeling much more hopeful. I saw a family on the news whose husband (in his forties) was dying from Covid-19 and given this drug and he is recovering!!!

The team here that claim they have found a "cure" for Corona are being overly cautious because they haven't run controlled studies yet, but no one so far, that has been treated by the Professor and his team that found the Malaria drugs and HIV drugs that kills Corona has died. They have actually been doing research with a range of drugs to kill the the disease, since the disease first appeared in China and have been giving advise and working with a few hospitals in China to give these drugs to patients over there so far with a 100% success rate, provided they are given the drugs early enough.

They did all of the tests in the lab, the drugs killed the virus in tests tubes and then in mice 100% of the time weeks ago, they then gave the drugs to Asian students in the city I live in that tested positive for the disease, that came from China weeks ago and also so far have proven that they have killed the virus in humans. They are now giving the drugs to anyone that turns up at specific hospitals in Australia that are willing to take part in a controlled study.

They are about 2 months away from a controlled written up study to work out which combinations of the two drugs and the exact doses work most efficiently.

I honestly wish the rest of the world would read what has been done so far and give these drugs to the sick and anyone that turns up at hospitals that could become or is critically ill - they are simple tablets in plentiful supply currently available. And I go with the theory what is the worst that can happen, if someone is really critically ill or going to die from Corona anyway then what harm is it going it do - if these drugs save them that is one less person dead.....

They are saying the earlier they give patients these drugs the more likely they are of completely killing the virus in that patient and curing them.

 

[Madam Bijoux]

I just read that a supercomputer identified some chemicals that can kill CV. It sounds hopeful.

 

[missy]

Our friend B who is a pulmonologist said they are using the anti malaria drugs at his hospital (NJ) for treating the sickest Covid-19 patients but they are running very low so he is anticipating they have to start cutting the dosages to give it to as many people as possible.

Fingers crossed this helps. But disappointing they now have to ration the anti malaria drugs. Who knows if cut dosages will help. Who know if full dosages will help. But at least it is a move in the right direction...looking for a treatment to help decrease the severity of Covid-19 for those who need relief most.

 

[arkieb1]

Our friend B who is a pulmonologist said they are using the anti malaria drugs at his hospital (NJ) for treating the sickest Covid-19 patients but they are running very low so he is anticipating they have to start cutting the dosages to give it to as many people as possible.

Fingers crossed this helps. But disappointing they now have to ration the anti malaria drugs. Who knows if cut dosages will help. Who know if full dosages will help. But at least it is a move in the right direction...looking for a treatment to help decrease the severity of Covid-19 for those who need relief most.

I've been following the medical trials because the Professor and the team that discovered the drugs that kills the virus in many patients lives and works in my city. They are using HIV suppressing combination Lopinavir/Ritonavir and also trialling a combination of the Malaria drug Chloroquine, so if he is running out perhaps he could start trying a combination of both drugs.

I think they have been suggesting both drugs the HIV drugs and the Malaria drugs work but they don't know which combination (suggesting to me it could be the combination) that is most effective.

They have had 75% to 80% success rates where it hasn't worked it has been given too late ie too much damage to the lungs to reverse or the patient has had other underlying issues COVID - 19 has impacted and the drugs cannot fix whatever those are and in some really elderly patients that again the disease is most aggressive and went downhill rapidly it also has not worked.

 

[missy]

I've been following the medical trials because the Professor and the team that discovered the drugs that kills the virus in many patients lives and works in my city. They are using HIV suppressing combination Lopinavir/Ritonavir and also trialling a combination of the Malaria drug Chloroquine, so if he is running out perhaps he could start trying a combination of both drugs.

I believe (and I could be wrong) that they are using a combo. I will text him the info just in case. Thanks @arkieb1

 

[arkieb1]

I believe (and I could be wrong) that they are using a combo. I will text him the info just in case. Thanks @arkieb1

I've read they can use the HIV drugs on their own as well, so that might be another option for them too, if they run out of the Malaria drug.

You would think if the US had any brains and these drugs are working that you would ramp up the manufacture of both.

 

[missy]

I've read they can use the HIV drugs on their own as well, so that might be another option for them too, if they run out of the Malaria drug.

Sent text, thank you!
I am trying to maintain calm but with you know who in the White House and with what he is saying about getting the work force back to work I am feeling despair.

 

[arkieb1]

Yes despair is right, millions of Aussies lost jobs this week, our government is shutting down everything with groups of more than 10 people. Swimming pools are closed, movie theatres closed, theme parks, restaurants, pubs, clubs, spas, nail salons, they are closing ALL non essential businesses here.

Millions of people are out of work. I think Trump and his administration have only just thought about the economic ramifications of what needs to happen and are now panicking because this will and is causing massive destruction to our economies and our way of life like we have never seen before.

Here it is worse than the GFC, people are committing suicided because they have lost their jobs, can't pay mortgages, cannot afford to feed their families.

Nearly everything will HAVE to be shut down because that is the only way to slow down and eventually stop the virus.

 

[missy]

B responded and he wrote:

"There is zero evidence that any of this works. We have updates every day. Even hydroxychloroquine and the azithromycin is falling out of favor. Treatment is supportive. By the way, you can go on the CDC website and see all of this information.

We're not even using Zithromax anymore.
No evidence of hydroxychloroquine but some doctors feel they have to at least try something we are using 600 mg twice a day. So far there is no difference between who gets it and who doesn’t and survival"


Not a great update.

ETA: Just the other day he said they thought it *might* be helping. How fast the info changes.

 

[Arcadian]

New york is going old school

New York state plans to treat severe coronavirus patients with a 100-year-old blood therapy, which uses the plasma of recovered patients

The state will treat critically ill patients with convalescent plasma to lessen their symptoms. The therapy dates back to the 1918 Spanish flu epidemic.

news.yahoo.com

They will get antibodies from recovered people and use that in sick people

 

[Venti25]

Corona virus suggestions
Snip
This was posted in a neighborhood forum that I subscribe to.

E.g.

Just FYI this (or variations) is making the rounds on social media and much of this is bollocks or at best misleading.

Bits and pieces of this "advice" surface intermittently or get reaggregated into emails/posts.

https://fullfact.org/online/coronavirus-claims-symptoms-viral/

I had to tell my mother today that unfortunately the advice she got from her brother about gargling Listerine/iodine/salt/something random for 5 minutes twice a day isn't going to help and is likely to irritate her gums.

 

[MollyMalone]

Those anti-malarial drugs have been prescribed here in the US for a number of years to lupus patients and those suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. This article by a NYC rheumatologist -- who has served as the Acting Director of a division of our National Institute of Health and also Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer for what is now the CDC -- explains.among other things, why US specialists have not embraced the recent reports from China and France as compelling proof of the efficacy of those drugs for COVID-19:

COVID-19 Effects on Rheumatic & Musculoskeletal Conditions

 

[Arcadian]

my mom uses plaquenil still, so I do hope there will not be shortages.

 

[canuk-gal]

my mom uses plaquenil still, so I do hope there will not be shortages.

My sister called me yesterday to say she had to go to two Pharmacies to have her Rx filled.

 

[Arcadian]

Its starting already, y'all need to read this

Patient Denied Prescription Refill Due to COVID-19 Thanked for Her 'Sacrifice'

A Los Angeles woman with lupus was thanked for her "sacrifice" after being denied a refill of her hydroxychloroquine prescription because her health care provider was "preserving" the medication for people "critically ill with COVID-19."

www.yahoo.com

I'm so angry at this! My goodness!!

 

[missy]

Its starting already, y'all need to read this

Patient Denied Prescription Refill Due to COVID-19 Thanked for Her 'Sacrifice'

A Los Angeles woman with lupus was thanked for her "sacrifice" after being denied a refill of her hydroxychloroquine prescription because her health care provider was "preserving" the medication for people "critically ill with COVID-19."

www.yahoo.com

I'm so angry at this! My goodness!!

This is unbelievable. How can that be legal??? This has got to be some sort of human rights violation. This is immoral.

 

[arkieb1]

@missy - I've read everything that the public is allowed to read about the trials of the drugs here....

I guess these guys could be fabricating the data but I'm a person that understands numbers and data and I don't think they are, because the death rate in the city I live in where they are using these drugs is way way lower than every where else.

So the most logical assumption I can draw from that is they are giving the drugs to people that test positive to the disease that either have no symptoms or are just showing early symptoms, it kills the virus and they don't reach a point where they become critically ill.

Your doctor friend I assume is in New York or one of the other major hotspots of the disease in the US. Lets assume there are 6 stages of the disease;

1) People test positive with no symptoms
2) People test positive and are showing very minor symptoms
3) People test positive and have some symptoms at a moderate level
4) People are positive and have flu like symptoms heading into pneumonia
5) People are positive and have pneumonia and are being treated in ICU centres
6) People are on ventilation and are the worst presentation and the most advanced and severe cases of the disease.

We are treating people on numbers 1, and 2 and 3, say it works at levels 1 and 2 and for some at 3 because it stops the disease from advancing to 3, 4, 5 and 6.

Lets say hypothetically the drugs are ineffective at stages 3, 4, 5 and 6. The world is looking for a "magic" bullet or "magic" cure for people at those stages, I'd assume because testing in the US is woefully inadequate, that your friend is mostly seeing patients at levels 3, 4, 5 and 6. He gives them the drugs they don't work....

In the US people on level 1 probably don't even know they have the virus and people on level 2 are probably self isolating and neither group even goes to seek medical attention until they reach levels 3, 4, 5 and 6.

Here we actively seek out everyone in our state that are on levels 1 and 2 before they progress to the other levels, as it spreads I think they will find less people early enough and more people will die here too.

I get the overall "impression" (ie reading between the lines of the data available), that's why the drugs are working here and and not working everywhere else.

 

[missy]

@missy - I guess some of these leaders in the US are completely unable to read statistical data or they think by ignoring it that the problem will magically go away. Or they are just morons....

Sad to say the great majority of them (IMO) are morons. But no just in front of it because they are costing people their lives and there is no just in that.

@missy - I've read everything that the public is allowed to read about the trials of the drugs here....

I guess these guys could be fabricating the data but I'm a person that understands numbers and data and I don't think they are, because the death rate in the city I live in where they are using these drugs is way way lower than every where else.

So the most logical assumption I can draw from that is they are giving the drugs to people that test positive to the disease that either have no symptoms or are just showing early symptoms, it kills the virus and they don't reach a point where they become critically ill.

Your doctor friend I assume is in New York or one of the other major hotspots of the disease in the US. Lets assume there are 6 stages of the disease;

1) People test positive with no symptoms
2) People test positive and are showing very minor symptoms
3) People test positive and have some symptoms at a moderate level
4) People are positive and have flu like symptoms heading into pneumonia
5) People are positive and have pneumonia and are being treated in ICU centres
6) People are on ventilation and are the worst presentation and the most advanced and severe cases of the disease.

We are treating people on numbers 1, and 2 and 3, say it works at levels 1 and 2 and for some at 3 because it stops the disease from advancing to 3, 4, 5 and 6.

Lets say hypothetically the drugs are ineffective at stages 3, 4, 5 and 6. The world is looking for a "magic" bullet or "magic" cure for people at those stages, I'd assume because testing in the US is woefully inadequate, that your friend is mostly seeing patients at levels 3, 4, 5 and 6. He gives them the drugs they don't work....

In the US people on level 1 probably don't even know they have the virus and people on level 2 are probably self isolating and neither group even goes to seek medical attention until they reach levels 3, 4, 5 and 6.

Here we actively seek out everyone in our state that are on levels 1 and 2 before they progress to the other levels, as it spreads I think they will find less people early enough and more people will die here too.

I get the overall "impression" (ie reading between the lines of the data available), that's why the drugs are working here and and not working everywhere else.

Wouldn't the physicians and the medical researchers here and everyone who is relevant to this in any way have access to and be aware of these statistics? I mean truly the whole world is in this together and we are all learning as we go. But Australia is small and has a huge advantage in that you do not have the same shortages we do in the USA.

I guess there is no way to give everyone these meds in the USA as my friend B said they are already running very low and that is with just giving it to the sickest individuals. So I guess we just don't have the necessary supplies or meds to save Americans. I am not saying that cavalierly at all. Just stating a heartbreaking fact. Or at least what seems like a fact listening to and reading the news. Many thousands of people are going to die here because we lack supplies and meds and because our politicians are callous and/or stupid or both.

 

[chemgirl]

Our friend B who is a pulmonologist said they are using the anti malaria drugs at his hospital (NJ) for treating the sickest Covid-19 patients but they are running very low so he is anticipating they have to start cutting the dosages to give it to as many people as possible.

Fingers crossed this helps. But disappointing they now have to ration the anti malaria drugs. Who knows if cut dosages will help. Who know if full dosages will help. But at least it is a move in the right direction...looking for a treatment to help decrease the severity of Covid-19 for those who need relief most.

Sad as well that this drug is commonly used to treat Lupus and the shortage is greatly affecting people who need it.

There isn’t a lot of evidence for the efficacy of hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for COVID19 on it’s own so it’s frustrating to see it being taken away from people who need to it prevent organ damage from Lupus.

I should really read the entire thread before commenting! Sorry guys.