Many different healthcare providers across the country are participating in this study, which will assess the effectiveness of various drugs that have been identified by experts as promising treatments for the virus’ symptoms. These medicines are already being used to remedy other conditions, such as malaria or HIV, but it is now being suggesting that they may also be able to help with the global pandemic.
The purpose of the trial is to find out which of these repurposed drugs will be most beneficial and what the right dosage would be. This will be achieved by comparing the results of each of them, and then pooling the findings together with those from other hospitals.
The Trust will be giving patients who have been admitted, tested and diagnosed with the virus the opportunity to, safely, take part in this study. In order for the trial to be successful, DBTH will be relying on eligible patients agreeing to receive one of the different medications, all of which are routinely available as they are used for other conditions.
Eligible patients will receive an information sheet that contains more details and, if the patient agrees to participate in the trial, they will be given a 10 day course on a specifically allocated drug. In all cases the patient will be prescribed medication from the list at random to see if it is effective, and this will be supplemented with the usual treatment that would be provided for those admitted with Covid-19.
Speaking about the trial, DBTH’s newly appointed Deputy Director of Research and Innovation and Consultant General and Colorectal Surgeon, Mr Tim Wilson, said: “As with most viruses there is no known cure for Covid-19, but established treatments for other conditions may be able to help patients recover more quickly and with fewer problems. This unprecedented study will enable us to test these treatments, in a way that could make a huge difference in the fight against the illness.”
The Trust will be asking patients who have been hospitalised with a positive Covid-19 test to take part, provided that they are over the age of 18 and have no other clinical concerns raised by their the senior doctor.