WORLD NEWS – AU – This drug may prevent severe COVID-19 symptoms and hospitalization

The new Coronavirus, the virus responsible for the ongoing pandemic, affects different people in different ways. While most of those infected develop mild to moderate disease and recover without hospitalization, COVID-19 causes more severe symptoms in some patients.. Doctors also warn that a person may experience mild symptoms for a few days, then rapidly escalate into serious, potentially life-threatening symptoms.. How should you do to prevent severe COVID-19 symptoms and recover? The anti-depressant fluvoxamine may help, according to researchers at the University of Washington School of Medicine. Also read – COVID-19 Live Updates: Cases in India have risen to 87. 73. 479, while the death toll reaches 1. 29188

Fluvoxamine belongs to a class of drugs called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) that interact with the sigma-1 protein in the body and help reduce inflammation.. It is generally used to treat anxiety, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).. This drug has been found to help reduce inflammation and sepsis in animals by blocking IL-6, which is the pro-inflammatory cytokine.. Also read – Mass vaccination in India by December? SII aims to supply 100 million doses of AstraZeneca.

Dysregulated inflammation and cytokine storms (an intense immune reaction in which the body releases too many cytokines into the blood too quickly) are thought to be possible causes of death in patients with severe COVID-19. Also read – COVID-19 can pose a « health risk » for individuals who have not yet been born

University of Washington researchers conducted a randomized clinical trial of 152 outpatients of COVID-19 (those trying to recover at home) with mild to moderate disease in the St. Louis metropolitan area. All patients with an average age of 46 were confirmed to be infected with the COVID-19 virus between April 10 and August 5, 2020. They all had at least 92 percent oxygen saturation or more.

As part of the trial, one group (80 patients) was given 100 grams of fluvoxamine and another group (72 patients) three times daily for 15 days.. Interestingly, none of the participants in the fluvoxamine group reported a clinical worsening while six out of 72 patients in the placebo group showed a worsening of symptoms.. .

The results, published in JAMA, indicate that fluvoxamine may be effective in preventing severe COVID-19 symptoms and in hospitalization.. However, the authors cautioned that more larger studies are needed to confirm these findings. They plan to start large-scale studies soon and include patients from all over the country.

In the absence of a treatment or vaccine, scientists were testing the efficacy of existing drugs on COVID-19 patients. Favipiravir (initially designed to treat Japanese flu) and remdesivir (developed to combat Ebola) have been allowed to treat COVID-19 patients under an emergency use permit in some countries, including India..

Stimulants such as dexamethasone, the anti-inflammatory aspirin, and the antidepressant drug duloxetine are also claimed to be effective in managing COVID-19.

Symptoms of COVID-19 may vary from person to person, and some people with the virus may have no symptoms at all. The most common symptoms include fever, body aches, dry cough, fatigue, chills, headache, sore throat, loss of appetite, and loss of smell.. Some people may experience more severe symptoms such as a high temperature, severe cough, and shortness of breath, which often indicates pneumonia and requires hospital treatment..

Some people with COVID-19 also have neurological symptoms, gastrointestinal symptoms, or both. Neurological symptoms seen in COVID-19 patients include loss of sense of smell and taste, muscle weakness, tingling or numbness in the hands and feet, dizziness, confusion, delirium, seizures and stroke.. People infected with the new coronavirus have also reported gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms, such as loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain or discomfort.. . These symptoms may occur with or without respiratory symptoms.

Older adults and people with certain underlying medical conditions are known to be at increased risk of developing serious COVID-19.. Having said that, the virus can also make young people sick enough to require hospitalization.

Therefore, people of any age should take preventive health measures such as washing hands frequently, physical distancing, and wearing a mask when out in public.. Not only will this help protect yourself, but it will reduce the chances of spreading the infection to others.

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