A research team has probably made a breakthrough. The combination of two drugs curbs both symptoms and the course of Covid-19.
Kassel / London – Germany is in the middle of the fourth corona-Wave*. Experts have been warning of the situation in the intensive care units of the hospitals for weeks. The nurses are working to the limit. More and more unvaccinated people are admitted to clinics and are experiencing a severe course of the Covid-19 disease.
In addition to corona policy measures, new research projects in particular represent hope in the pandemic. While the political goal is to reduce the number of cases through restrictions, science is more likely to hope for effective drugs in the fight against Covid-19.
One of these research projects has now published results. In the specialist journal Frontiers in Endocrinology the associated study, in which Imperial College London was involved, among others, was published. This analyzed a combination of drugs.
A study has discovered a combination of drugs that are said to protect against severe Covid-19 courses. (Symbol image)
© Michael Bihlmayer / Imago
Corona drugs: researchers celebrate breakthrough with study
Accordingly, a certain combination of two drugs can protect Covid 19 sufferers from a severe course. According to the researchers, in this way it is possible to prevent numerous stays in intensive care units at an early stage. Part of this protection against coronaviruses is, among other things, that according to the study, those affected recover much faster from symptoms such as loss of taste, shortness of breath or coughing.
The two drugs are:
- Dexamethasone
- Spironolactone
According to consistent reports in specialist journals, dexamethasone was the first drug to be approved for the treatment of Covid-19. In combination with the agent spironolactone, it achieves the effects mentioned, according to the study. Spironolactone is actually a drug for heart failure.
Two corona drugs against Covid-19: This is how the study went
80 people were examined in the study: two groups of 40 people were formed. In the first part of the study, one group received a high dose of dexamethasone and the other a low dose. The 40 subjects in the second group then received an additional dose of spironolactone. The researchers’ focus in the study was primarily on changes in the lungs as a result of drug treatment. In addition, the research group wanted to check the effect of the “drug cocktail”.
According to the researchers, it was found that 24 of the 40 patients who had only received dexamethasone had unchanged lung damage after several days. In comparison, there was not a single such case in the second group. All patients showed an improvement. Nonetheless, the use of dexamethasone alone showed that the situation improved significantly in 16 patients. Nevertheless, the mix of both drugs showed the greater effect.
After the changes in the lungs, the second part of the study examined how the symptoms behaved in people infected with corona. Only 20 people in the second group were analyzed, i.e. the people who had received the mix of both drugs. It was found that after several days, the corona symptoms were significantly lower in almost all of the examined. Loss of taste was found to be a symptom in only one patient. In addition, the proportion of patients who experienced shortness of breath fell rapidly. Compared to 50 percent at the beginning of the drug treatment, only ten percent had shortness of breath after the treatment.
According to the scientists, the study has shown the first promising results. Still, more research is needed to explore the field further. (do) * hna.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA.
List of rubric lists: © Michael Bihlmayer / Imago