It is another step in the fight against Corona. It’s cheap and it helps. The antidepressant fluvoxamine protects particularly high-risk patients from lengthy hospitalization.
The authors of the study, which was published on Wednesday in the journal “The Lancet Global Health”, wrote that the drug could be used as a cheap treatment method, especially in countries where there are not yet enough vaccines available.
Accordingly, the risk of prolonged inpatient treatment after administration of the antidepressant, which has an anti-inflammatory effect, decreased by around a third.
Drug also protects against corona death
Almost 1,500 people infected with corona in Brazil took part in the study. Of the 741 patients who received fluvoxamine, just over ten percent had to be treated longer in hospital. In the comparison group, the proportion was 15.7 percent.
Even if the study did not focus on mortality, the scientists also observed clear differences here. Only one of the patients treated with fluvoxamine died, while twelve deaths were recorded in the placebo group.
Available drugs are being tested
“Covid-19 still poses a risk to people in countries with limited resources and limited access to vaccinations,” said one of the study’s lead authors, Edward Mills of McMaster University in Canada. It is therefore important to check already available drugs for their suitability for use against Corona.
At the same time, the researchers pointed out that further research is required. Fluvoxamine is not on the list of essential drugs of the World Health Organization (WHO) and can be addictive.
In addition to the proven very effective vaccines, pharmaceutical companies around the world are working on the development of drugs against Covid-19 disease.
Specific drug is still missing
Medicines against severe courses are another building block in the fight against the corona pandemic. This could, for example, protect people who have not or could not yet receive a vaccination.
A drug approved for all patients that specifically fights the coronavirus is still missing. Instead, doctors use tried and tested drugs that protect against certain complications, depending on the course of a Covid 19 disease.
Often patients in the hospital get blood thinners – because Covid-19 increases the risk of thrombosis, heart attacks and strokes. In addition, antibiotics should protect against additional bacterial infections. (AFP / jmh)