French researchers have found an interesting new way to combat the Corona Virus. In their research to find a treatment for it, they have found that some already established medicines have an effect on the life cycle of the virus. The research shows that it could cut the duration in which patients are contagious, which could help prevent spreading.
“Researchers in France have issued a statement detailing how a combination of antimalarial medication and antibiotics could be a vital weapon in the battle against coronavirus.
The researchers’ work has garnered global attention, notably from President Trump. Researchers prescribed the antimalarial hydroxychloroquine and the antibiotic azithromycin to patients earlier this month, according to the research, which is published in the International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents.
In the statement, which was released Sunday, IHU-Méditerranée Infection in Marseille described the treatment protocol for COVID-19 patients. “A treatment with the hydroxychloroquine combination (200 mg x 3 per day for 10 days) + Azithromycin (500 mg on the 1st day then 250 mg per day for 5 more days), as part of the precautions for use of this association (including an electrocardiogram on D0 and D2),” they write, in the translated statement. “In cases of severe pneumonia, a broad-spectrum antibiotic is also used.”
“Raoult, an infectious diseases specialist, was tasked by the French government to research possible treatment for the novel coronavirus.
According to the professor, the first Covid-19 patients he treated with drug chloroquine saw rapid and effective speeding of their healing process, and a sharp decrease in the amount of time they remained contagious.
Chloroquine — which is normally used to prevent and treat malaria — was administered via drug Plaquenil.
“We included everyone who was in agreement to be treated, which was almost everyone. Two towns in the protocol, Nice and Avignon, gave us infected patients who had not yet received treatment,” Raoult said.”
The results showed that 25% of the people who took the medicine combination were not contagious with the virus after 6 days. Now, this may not be the cure we are all hoping for, but it is a big step in the right direction. Hopefully, they soon will find a full-on cure for this virus soon as there is no telling how high the death count will go.
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