COVID-19 Treatments: From scientific trials to anecdotal woo

Listing COVID-19 treatments from scientific trials to anecdotal woo

So far, these seem to include:

  1. Blood plasma from the convalescent (recovered)
    1. Found Helpful: (could use a better citation here): https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/20/opinions/plasma-treatment-covid-19-sepkowitz/index.html
    2. Currently being studied (@ Rutgers --  they are seeking blood donations from those who have recovered): https://www.nj.com/coronavirus/2020/04/did-you-survive-coronavirus-rutgers-seeks-blood-donors-for-possible-antibody-treatment.html?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=rutgerstoday&utm_content=Research%20%26amp%3B%20Innovation
    3. Challenges: Plasma donation process https://www.huffpost.com/entry/covid-19-plasma-treatment-donation_n_5e9484e0c5b6d97d91f0c3da
  2. Remdisivir
    1. Found Helpful: https://www.pharmacypracticenews.com/Covid19/Article/04-20/Early-Data-on-Remdesivir-for-COVID19-Cause-Guarded-Optimism/58063 )
    2. Caution: May be more likely to work for mild/moderate cases, than for severe: https://www.pharmaceutical-technology.com/comment/gilead-remdesivir-covid-19/
    3. Found NOT helpful: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-52406261
  3. Hydroxychloroquine (and azithromycin )
    1. Found Helpful (but only 20 cases treated): https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32205204
    2. Found NOT helpful: https://www.nationalreview.com/news/va-study-of-anti-malarial-drug-shows-no-benefit-for-use-with-coronavirus-patients/  (original source: https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.04.16.20065920v1 )
    3. Study in progress: https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/22/health/hydroxychloroquine-new-york-study-results-unreleased/index.html
  4. Christine Cuomo's Corona Protocol
    1. Anecdotal (including taking a bath in Clorox - which would have seemed slightly less crazy if she defended it with the reasoning of it killing the virus on her skin/hair, but instead said it was "to combat the radiation and metals in my system and oxygenate it" ): https://thepuristonline.com/2020/04/the-cuomos-corona-protocol-week-3/
  5. Sprout's (likely a coincidence) Woo: Umcka ColdCare
    1. Umcka had been found in one study to reduced duration/severity of the common cold, and is an approved drug for acute bronchitis in Germany. Germany has a surprisingly low mortality rate for Covid-19. If Umcka is mostly used in Germany, and if it tends to be their common home-treatment for colds and coughs, perhaps it reduces severity for those who use it to treat early symptoms of COVID-19? (More likely though, the early and targeted lockdowns were better at keeping COVID from infecting care home residents, who have the highest mortality rates. But I have a bottle of Umcka in my medicine cabinet anyway). https://smile.amazon.com/Natures-Way-Umcka-Cherry-Alcohol/dp/B000J59VEC/

Anything else?


couldn't embed the tweet, but this horror show from Trump today is worth a look

UV light, applied internally; disinfectant...





We’ve had reports from a UK research paper the Remdisivir is no better than a placebo, despite the notes on the Gilead website. This might not be reported within the US, thought you should know. The research is being published next week.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-52406261


I’m sorry for all my typos.


drummerboy said:

couldn't embed the tweet, but this horror show from Trump today is worth a look

UV light, applied internally; disinfectant...

One wonders how many Trumpkins will die from injecting bleach.  This truly was a new low.  Who thought such a thing was still possible?


"Preliminary results of a study on hydroxychloroquine in New York showed that the anti-malaria drug had no effect on critically ill coronavirus patients, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Thursday.

The study, sponsored by the Department of Health, looked at about 600 patients at 22 hospitals in the greater New York City area.

“I think from the review that I heard basically it was not seen as a positive, not seen as a negative,” Cuomo said during a CNN town hall."

https://nypost.com/2020/04/23/hydroxychloroquine-had-no-effect-on-seriously-ill-in-new-york-study/


drummerboy said:

couldn't embed the tweet, but this horror show from Trump today is worth a look

UV light, applied internally; disinfectant...

"It’s like your drunk grandfather from Queens. Except he doesn’t drink."

https://twitter.com/EpsilonTheory/status/1253469941782675457
           


When I started this thread, I expected some ridiculous suggestions. I'm part speechless, and part hoping this is finally the point at which the Drumpf show has jumped-the-shark.


joanne said:

We’ve had reports from a UK research paper the Remdisivir is no better than a placebo, despite the notes on the Gilead website. This might not be reported within the US, thought you should know. The research is being published next week.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-52406261

Thanks @joanne.

Unfortunate that this did not appear to be an effective medication. I added a 'Not Helpful' bullet and your provided link in the first post. 


cramer said:

drummerboy said:

couldn't embed the tweet, but this horror show from Trump today is worth a look

UV light, applied internally; disinfectant...

"It’s like your drunk grandfather from Queens. Except he doesn’t drink."

https://twitter.com/EpsilonTheory/status/1253469941782675457
           

 Oh, he drinks. He pretends he doesn't, but he does.


Sprout, I haven’t checked the US version of the Guardian, so don’t know how much of this you’re getting

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/24/us-stays-away-as-world-leaders-agree-action-on-covid-19-vaccine

Vaccine trials news: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/24/the-hunt-for-a-coronavirus-vaccine-a-perilous-and-uncertain-path


There’s also a lot of info on the BBC Online esp in their Health pages. 


Apparently there’s research into interferon beta, and dexamethasone. Both reduce inflammation but might overstimulate the immune system with this virus. 
The BBC page looking at this is updated every couple of days; commenting is now closed. 



oddly enough, there is ongoing research into using a new device to apply UV light to the lungs.

https://apnews.com/b44f4531071e6204023f7b8e16f59d4b


Led by Mark Pimentel, MD, the research team of the Medically Associated
Science and Technology (MAST) Program at Cedars-Sinai has been
developing the patent-pending Healight platform since 2016 and has
produced a growing body of scientific evidence demonstrating
pre-clinical safety and effectiveness of the technology as an antiviral
and antibacterial treatment. The Healight technology employs proprietary
methods of administering intermittent ultraviolet (UV) A light via a
novel endotracheal medical device. Pre-clinical findings indicate the
technology’s significant impact on eradicating a wide range of viruses
and bacteria, inclusive of coronavirus.
The data have been the basis of
discussions with the FDA for a near-term path to enable human use for
the potential treatment of coronavirus in intubated patients in the
intensive care unit (ICU). Beyond the initial pursuit of a coronavirus
ICU indication, additional data suggest broader clinical applications
for the technology across a range of viral and bacterial pathogens. This
includes bacteria implicated in ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP).


from Bob Roe:  check out ccpp19.org for info about donating blood from recovered covid-19 patients for antibody plasma.  


 Fauci calling for studies designed to answer the question, do ACE-inhibitors make Covid-19 patients more vulnerable to lung problems.

https://nypost.com/2020/04/23/blood-pressure-drugs-could-make-you-more-vulnerable-to-coronavirus/

But bear in mind this part of the above article:

"However, Dr. Scott David Solomon, director of noninvasive cardiology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, is one of many who suggest it is too early to reach potentially dangerous decisions.

“Not only is there no compelling evidence that we should be discontinuing those medications, but there’s reason to think that doing so might actually cause harm,” Solomon said."




There are some doctors trying to sort out how a drug used to treat high altitude sickness, acetazolamide, might help many COVID patients. They present with low blood oxygen levels and symptoms like metabolic alkalosis even though the air they are breathing has normal oxygen at these elevations. Anyway, it's early for this. Acetazolamide (a carbonic anhydrase inhibitor) is a diuretic used in specific cases like when the body's pH needs to be adjusted but it isn't going to directly affect the virus at all. The way it could help is to allow the patient to ride out the trauma of the infection. Get the oxygenation up and maybe they won't have to be put on ventilators.

https://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=230110

Again. It's early.


NY Hospitals are starting trials to look at a common hearburn drug, famotidine, the active ingredient in Pepcid. Patients in the study are in the hospital taking mega-doses intravenously -- doses about nine times what someone would normally take for heartburn. In addition to the observations from Chinese patients, Florida-based Alchem Laboratories used a computer model to make a list of existing drugs that might fight coronavirus, and famotidine showed up near the top of their list. (Also very early)

https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/27/health/famotidine-coronavirus-northwell-trial/index.html


sprout said:

NY Hospitals are starting trials to look at a common hearburn drug, famotidine, the active ingredient in Pepcid. Patients in the study are in the hospital taking mega-doses intravenously -- doses about nine times what someone would normally take for heartburn. In addition to the observations from Chinese patients, Florida-based Alchem Laboratories used a computer model to make a list of existing drugs that might fight coronavirus, and famotidine showed up near the top of their list. (Also very early)

https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/27/health/famotidine-coronavirus-northwell-trial/index.html

Yes, I saw this earlier today and considered posting it here!

The computer modeling looking for candidate drugs (and other compounds in the vast databases the pharma companies have that are not currently on the market) isn't like human approaches. It looks for anything that can bind various sites on critical components of the virus, it examines various toxic effects and their symptoms the virus causes and other things that could be helpful that we haven't considered. Lots of number crunching. Lots of it. Similar to efforts are smashing tuberculosis and malaria. I think there might even be programs that are already recruiting computer owners to lend their processing power to help analyze any COVID 19 data.

Acetazolamide was also picked up as a candidate molecule with a similar method.


bikefixed said:

sprout said:

NY Hospitals are starting trials to look at a common hearburn drug, famotidine, the active ingredient in Pepcid. Patients in the study are in the hospital taking mega-doses intravenously -- doses about nine times what someone would normally take for heartburn. In addition to the observations from Chinese patients, Florida-based Alchem Laboratories used a computer model to make a list of existing drugs that might fight coronavirus, and famotidine showed up near the top of their list. (Also very early)

https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/27/health/famotidine-coronavirus-northwell-trial/index.html

Yes, I saw this earlier today and considered posting it here!

The computer modeling looking for candidate drugs (and other compounds in the vast databases the pharma companies have that are not currently on the market) isn't like human approaches. It looks for anything that can bind various sites on critical components of the virus, it examines various toxic effects and their symptoms the virus causes and other things that could be helpful that we haven't considered. Lots of number crunching. Lots of it. Similar to efforts are smashing tuberculosis and malaria. I think there might even be programs that are already recruiting computer owners to lend their processing power to help analyze any COVID 19 data.

Acetazolamide was also picked up as a candidate molecule with a similar method.

Thanks for the explanation. Was wondering how you go about searching for a drug that might work against something. To my layman's eye, it seems like magic.


The chemical structures are examined 9 ways to Sunday and you have detailed 3-D representations of where the atoms (and specific collections of them, like aromatic rings or acetyl groups, etc.) are in space. Their behavior in different solutions is predictable but they'll probably be concentrating on how they act in conditions like human plasma. In addition to that, they can infer how the molecule will behave when it interacts with other chemical properties in a macromolecule such as lipophilic (water avoiding, or oil soluble), hydrophilic (water-soluble) or polar vs. nonpolar regions. Large macromolecules like enzymes and receptors are much larger than most drug molecules and interpreting how a drug molecule or neurotransmitter like dopamine binds to one of them is like watching a college student trying to fit that la-a-s-s-st piece of their stuff into the family SUV as they move3 out of a dorm. Or, like Tetris, only with rose bushes.

So, they gather information on as many big important components of COVID-19 and use crystallographic models of them to see if any of those molecules could get in there and muck things up somehow. Medicinal chemistry is pretty wild if you're into it. That said, it was and is wayyy over my head. I could never really grok the fine physics of organic chemicals, just how they do what they do.

Before all this, it was experimentation in the lab to see it in action like an antibiotic trying to kill a bacteria. They then got the ability to purify individual proteins and could more easily test lots of different derivatives any molecule they wanted to make in terms of binding it and how well. Like hundreds and thousands of tiny little changes in something like dopamine or acetylcholine. That painstaking work is how little quirks are discovered and further efforts are made to see if it can be fine-tuned.

In a way, pharmacologists and medicinal chemists are like the surgeons of the physiological world. Someone characterizes some tiny little molecular biological process and they're like "Oh, nice! So that's how it works! Now let's see if we can **** with it."


Dr. Anthony Fauci is going to have a press conference today on the positive results of Remdesivir released by the NIAID today. Dr. Scott Gottlieb is on CNBC now saying that it's not a silver bullet, but is the first generation anti-viral drug against coronavirus. It's not an oral drug but must be given intravenously. Remdesiver is a tool in the tool box. 

Gilead Sciences Statement on Positive Data Emerging From National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases’ Study of Investigational Antiviral Remdesivir for COVID-19


https://www.gilead.com/news-and-press/press-room/press-releases/2020/4/gilead-sciences-statement-on-positive-data-emerging-from-national-institute-of-allergy-and-infectious-diseases-study-of-investigational-antiviral-rem


"As we've been saying for some time now, accumulating data on Remdesivir suggests it's active against covid and there's now enough data to support consideration of access under an emergency use authorization by FDA. The data from NIAID study should push this firmly over the line."

https://twitter.com/ScottGottliebMD/status/1255484418745151495


Interesting, compared with the UK study that says no better than placebo. *scratching my head*


joanne said:

Interesting, compared with the UK study that says no better than placebo. *scratching my head*

You're referring to this: 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/23/high-hopes-drug-for-covid-19-treatment-failed-in-full-trial

The article said: 

"News of the failure was posted on a World Health Organization clinical trials database, but later removed. A WHO spokesman said it had been uploaded too soon by accident.

“A draft document was provided by the authors to WHO and inadvertently posted on the website and taken down as soon as the mistake was noticed. The manuscript is undergoing peer review and we are waiting for a final version before WHO comments,” said Tarik Jasarevic, a WHO spokesperson."

Dr. Gottlieb, who had been head of the FDA,  was pretty upbeat about the results of the tests, with the caveats that it's not a silver bullet, and can only be administered intravenously to covid patients who have been admitted to the hospital.  

eta - Dr. Fauci's press conference is at 2:30 pm today. The NIAID also had positive test results of Remdesivir. 

Gilead Sciences Statement on Positive Data Emerging From National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases’ Study of Investigational Antiviral Remdesivir for COVID-19

https://www.gilead.com/news-and-press/press-room/press-releases/2020/4/gilead-sciences-statement-on-positive-data-emerging-from-national-institute-of-allergy-and-infectious-diseases-study-of-investigational-antiviral-rem

 


cheese as I wrote on 24 April, this is the report I referred to:

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-52406261 but yeah. I’d also read other versions in other publications that looked at other studies, discontinued in light of this since their findings appeared to be replicating it. Can’t find those links now. 


"White House health advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci said Wednesday that data from a coronavirus drug trial testing Gilead Sciences’ antiviral drug remdesivir showed “quite good news.”

Speaking to reporters from the White House, Fauci said he was told data from the trial showed “clear cut positive effect in diminishing time to recover.”

U.S. health officials are expected to release the full results of a drug trial conducted by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases later Wednesday. Gilead Sciences announced earlier in the day that the study had met its primary endpoint, but did not provide further details."

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/29/dr-anthony-fauci-says-data-from-remdesivir-coronavirus-drug-trial-shows-quite-good-news.html   


from Bob Roe:  Is there any early news on convalescent serum treatment?   


Remdesivir has been used in hospitals in Hong Kong since mid-March.    So far we have 4 deaths from coronavirus.   Another factor is that people aren't shy about approaching clinics early in an illness -- not concerned about their finances and insurance nonsense.   

ETA : we're now counting re-hospitalizations (6 so far)


Found this in the morning paper from DK, in article that first listed gradual openings in Italy, Spain & France:

Germany started a gradual opening on April 20th.  They are now seeing an uptick in the number of new cases.  The downward trend culminated Monday, which was the first day under 1000.  They registered 1154 on Tuesday and 1627 on Wednesday.  This has brought their 'Ro number' from 0.7 to 0.96 (numbers under 1.0 indicate, that the level of infection pressure is under control).


The NIH is funding a study to see if prayer helps COVID patients.

oy.




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