Finally, some good news about the coronavirus!
We’re happy to report that the coronavirus death rate is beginning to decline. In March, the virus had a mortality rate of 25.6% for Americans. Today the chances of dying in the United States from the coronavirus have dropped to 7.6%.
Indeed, 7.6% is still relatively high, especially when you compare the death rate of COVID-19 to other viruses such as the flu. However, as new information comes to light, researchers are able to explore possible coronavirus treatments. Instead of focusing on all of the pain and suffering the coronavirus is causing, it’s time to look forward to the future with hope.
Read on to learn about the exciting possibilities of COVID-19 treatments.
1. Mesenchymal Stem Cell Treatment Trials
Let’s start by looking at the promise of coronavirus treatments using mesenchymal stem cells. Currently, mesenchymal stem cells aren’t approved by the FDA. However, that could change soon as America continues to search for an effective covid treatment. Mesenchymal stem cells come from adults, and they exist in places like fatty tissue, bone marrow.
Researchers believe that mesenchymal stem cells could help protect your lungs. How? The stem cells help by reducing inflammation.
In one study, COVID-19 patients received mesenchymal stem cell transplants over a period of time. The results were very promising, significantly reducing the study participants’ mortality rate.
2. Antithrombotic Therapy COVID Treatment
Moving on, antithrombotic agents could help slow down the coronavirus. Antithrombotic drugs prevent blood clots from forming. Patients taking antithrombotic agents, who also wind up contracting COVID-19, may have an advantage.
Research is underway to understand the role antithrombotic treatments play in affecting COVID-19. There’s still a lot of questions that need to be answered before anyone can say with certainty that antithrombotic agents can help treat COVID.
However, it’s possible that by slowing down the virus, patients will be able to fight it off more quickly. Another advantage is that a slow virus will have a harder time causing long-lasting damage.
3. Convalescent Plasma Treatments
When someone catches the coronavirus and then recovers, they may have antibodies in their system. The antibodies act similarly to the way your body responds to a vaccine. If someone with antibodies is exposed to the coronavirus again, their body will have an easier time suppressing the virus.
Studies are taking place to see if the convalescent plasma from patients with antibodies can be used to create a coronavirus vaccine. However, the studies are limited since there’s not a lot of people with COVID-19 antibodies. Currently, less than 1 out of every 10 Americans have COVID-19 antibodies.
4. Treating ARDS in COVID-19 Patients
Moving on, acute respiratory distress syndrome or ARDS is a complication COVID patients can experience. Sadly ARDS is almost always fatal since it can make it impossible for patients to breathe on their own. The good news is that there are companies developing gimsilumab to both treat and prevent ARDS in COVID-19 patients.
The medications work as a monoclonal antibody, targeting the aspects of the virus that cause lung inflammation. The drugs that can help with ARDS are still in a clinical-stage, as more trials are taking place. However, hopefully, the United States will be able to start innovative medications sooner than later.
5. How Sedation Is Helping Patients
Your body wants to do everything it can to heal itself when you’re not well. However, if you’re unable to get the rest you need, it’s difficult, if not impossible for your body to make the repairs it needs. That’s why sedation management is proving to be one of the most effective coronavirus treatments.
Here are some of the ways sedation is helping COVID-19 patients:
- Preventing pain
- Managing delirium
- Improving mobility
By sedating hospitalized COVID-19 patients, ICU stays can be reduced, as well as the need for mechanical ventilation. Sedation is also helping both prevent and manage delirium, which is a common side effect of the coronavirus. The more lucid patients are, the easier it becomes for them to participate in light exercises that can help them recover.
6. Strategies for Helping Children
The coronavirus doesn’t affect children as much as it does adults. However, that doesn’t mean there isn’t a big need to develop child-friendly treatments.
So far, the coronavirus has infected over 741,000 children. Oftentimes, children can fight off the coronavirus without having to go to the hospital.
However, in some cases, COVID-19 can cause children to develop other medical issues. For instance, children with COVID-19 may also develop multisystem inflammatory syndrome or MIS-C.
MIS-C can cause fevers, inflammation, and the need for immediate hospitalization. IF a child tests positive for MIS-C, the first thing doctors will do to treat them is to reduce the inflammation. Some treatments help reduce the levels of cytokines, which are proteins that can cause inflammation. Next, antibiotics, steroids, and intravenous antibodies are also proving to be effective pediatric treatments.
7. Helping HIV Positive COVID-19 Patients
If someone’s HIV positive and they contract COVID-19, they must continue with all of their HIV therapies. For instance, HIV patients shouldn’t stop their OI prophylaxis and antiretroviral therapies.
If someone didn’t know they were HIV positive, and then found out because they caught the coronavirus, they’ll need to meet with an HIV specialist. It may be in the best interest of newly diagnosed HIV patients to put off a new treatment regime until they’ve recovered from the coronavirus.
8. Hydroxychloroquine and Chloroquine
Both chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine have been helping prevent and treat chronic inflammatory diseases. For instance arthritis, and lupus are 2 of the conditions these medications can assist with. Researchers are now exploring the possibilities of using hydroxychloroquine/chloroquine to cure COVID-19.
Both of these drugs can reduce cytokine production, which causes inflammation. Chloroquine can also slow down SARS-CoV-2, in as short a time as 24 hours. Both of these drugs can cause severe side effects, such as hypoglycemia, and retinopathy. Retinopathy means that damage occurs to your eye’s retina, which can lead to partial or full vision loss.
9. Evaluation of Antiviral Drugs
Several antiviral drugs are being explored as possible coronavirus treatments. Here are some of the antiviral drugs researchers are looking at:
- Remdesivir
- Tocilizumab
- Sarilumab
- Siltuximab
Remdesivir is administered intravenously over 7 to 10 days. It’s believed that the drug can help patients breathe easier, reducing the need for mechanical ventilation. By getting the oxygen they need, patients could potentially recover more quickly from a severe case of COVID-19.
10. Ribavirin and COVID-19
Next, Ribavirin is a drug that may be able to help slow down the progression of the coronavirus. The slower the coronavirus progresses in your body, the better your chances are for having a full recovery.
Ribavirin has already proven itself to be useful in the fight against other COVs such as Sars-CoV. However, for it to be effective, patients would need a large dose of ribavirin, multiple times a day. One of the issues with large doses is that it can cause the body to become dose-dependent, which can cause health issues such as hemolytic anemia.
If patients develop hemolytic anemia, they may wind up needing blood transfusions. If researchers can find a way to lower the dose needed for Ribavirin to be effective, it’ll likely rise to the top of the list of possible treatments.
11. Dexamethasone and Oxygen Dependent Patients
There are currently clinical trials taking place to evaluate the use of dexamethasone in COVID-19 patients. It’s believed that dexamethasone can help improve the chances of survival in patients who need supplemental oxygen. However, researchers are concerned that if dexamethasone is administered without an antiviral drug, it could slow down recovery times.
Now the search is on to discover what antiviral drugs would be the perfect pair for dexamethasone treatments. For instance, it’s possible that Remdesivir and dexamethasone could be the perfect pair. The anti-inflammatory effects of the corticosteroids could help improve lung functions, while also speeding up recovery times.
12. Therapeutic Relief for COVID-19 Patients
If you or a loved one catches the coronavirus but doesn’t require hospitalization, there are things you can do at home to manage the symptoms. First, you’ll want to get yourself tested as soon as possible. There are a lot of convenient testing sites where you can simply drive through for rapid testing.
Next, self isolate in your home and only leave the house to get medical care. You’ll also want to make sure you’re taking it easy. Even if you can work remotely from home, get as much rest as you possibly can. Drink plenty of fluids, and make sure you’re keeping yourself comfortable and warm.
It’s also helpful if you use humidifiers and hot showers to help ease your cough and sore throat. You can take medications such as acetaminophen and ibuprofen, to help bring your fever down, while also relieving any body aches.
Your diet will play a big role in your recovery timeline. By avoiding refined sugars, and sticking to whole nutritious foods, you’ll be giving your body the tools it needs to recover. Lastly, clean your hands every time you use the bathroom, prepare food, or sneeze.
13. Nitazoxanide as a Coronavirus Treatment
Nitazoxanide is an antiparasitic drug that’s currently approved by the FDA to help with several viral infections. For instance, hepatitis C, hepatitis B, and influenza are all illnesses nitazoxanide can help with. Research is showing that nitazoxanide may be able to slow down the progression of the coronavirus. By suppressing the production of inflammation-causing proteins the medicine can prevent lung failure. The broad-spectrum antiviral drug effective in fighting off other coronaviruses, such as MERS-CoV.
Along with suppressing the production of cytokines, nitazoxanide can also help slow down the expression of the viruses N protein. The N protein, or nucleocapsid protein, plays a major role in the coronavirus’s life cycle. The coronavirus is encapsidated by N proteins, which help keep it safe, as it wreaks havoc in your body. Luckily, nitazoxanide can weaken the N proteins.
As a result, the coronavirus becomes less stable and more likely to fall apart as your body attacks it. Lastly, nitazoxanide can also help suppress the production of interleukin 6. Interleukin 6 influences the way your body responds to the virus, causing things such as inflammation.
14. Truth About Coronavirus Treatments and Myths
While it’s exciting to read about the search for a coronavirus treatment, there’s still a long way to go in our fight against the virus. Unfortunately, antibiotics can’t kill the coronavirus. Instead, antibiotics are only prescribed for severe cases of the coronavirus where there’s a threat of a bacterial infection. Next, it’s important to note that chlorine and alcohol won’t kill the coronavirus after it enters your body.
Instead, you should take measures to learn how to prevent the spread of COVID-19, by doing things like wearing a face mask, and washing your hands. The vaccine for the coronavirus is still a long way away. Other vaccines for things like the flu, aren’t going to protect you from COVID-19. Moving on, garlic doesn’t help protect you against the coronavirus. However, there are certain vitamins you can take that may help you recover faster.
Vitamin C and Zinc
If you get the coronavirus, you should buy some Zinc and Vitamin C. You should also look into getting foods that are rich in Vitamin C, such as oranges. Together, Zinc and Vitamin C can help your body fight off the virus, shortening the duration of your illness.
Overcoming the Pandemic Together
It’s inspiring to watch the world explore coronavirus treatments. However, remember that as we wait for a vaccine and cure, you need to do your part to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Stay home if you’re sick, and while you’re home remember to take it easy. After all, your body is designed to fight off viruses, as long as you’re giving it the rest it needs.
We hope this article will inspire you to stay up to date on all of the latest coronavirus developments. For more informative articles like this one, check out the rest of this site.
