A new study published yesterday in The Lancet has examined the effects of fluvoxamine on patients diagnosed with Covid-19. Researchers used a placebo clinical trial for participants from 11 clinics in Brazil. The South American country has had a hard time in the past 20 months fighting the pandemic. Some of the patients were given the drug used to treat depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder, while others were given a dummy pill. The findings were promising, and the existent drug could treat people infected with the new coronavirus.
It is not the only clinical trial of the kind
Other researchers have started trials to determine if existent medicine could be repurposed and used to treat Covid-19 patients. Because fluvoxamine is used to reduce inflammations, the results were positive during the clinical trial. Sources mention that the researchers shared their data and results with the U.S National Institute of Health. If the World Health Organization approves and recommends the treatment, more patients could benefit from it, and hospital systems can receive the much help they need.
Fluvoxamine is affordable and available in many countries
Another good news about the antidepressant drug is that it is inexpensive. Because it does not cost as much, even emerging countries can use it to help patients. At the same time, it will help economies worldwide, as the drug is much more affordable than monoclonal antibody therapy.
Over 1.500 patients from the Brazilian clinics who were at risk of severe illness and had recently got infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus were involved in the clinical study. Half of them took the drug at home, and the rest received a placebo. After tracking them for four weeks, researchers concluded that only 11 % of patients given fluvoxamine required hospitalization. There are some other things medical experts need to decide on, such as the precise dosage for each patient.