We’ve heard about a handful of experimental drugs to treat COVID-19.
But how do we know they really work? The truth is we don’t -- at least not yet.
Recommended Videos
That’s why doctors recently released COVID-19 treatment guidelines based on existing research.
Dr. Adarsh Bhimraj, an infectious disease specialist at Cleveland Clinic, is one of the authors.
“There’s a lot of literature out there which tells how a drug works in a petri dish, or a test tube,” he said. “We decided what’s relevant is what matters to the patient. Does it alleviate suffering? Again, does it result in lesser deaths when you use these treatments? Do the benefits outweigh the potential harms?”
The panel reviewed studies on COVID-19, as well as studies on SARS and MERS.
They analyzed data on antivirals (drugs that kill a virus) and anti-inflammatories (drugs that reduce inflammation in the body).
“We looked at the evidence that existed in human beings – do these medications help the patient or harm the patient?” said Bhimraj. “Unfortunately, when we did a thorough search and looked at the evidence we couldn’t find any convincing evidence, at least in the treatment of COVID-19.”
Therefore, the guidelines recommend experimental drugs only be used as part of a clinical trial, and not as routine care at this time.
But, the good news is there are several studies happening right now and results are expected soon.
“From the best evidence we have so far, it is hard to conclude that these medications could be beneficial and they could potentially be harmful,” Dr. Bhimraj said. “So, we should wait until the clinical trial results come out, and the way clinical trials are being done, we should get the results in the next couple of months and hopefully even in the next couple of weeks.”
Bhimraj said the panel evaluates new studies frequently, and will continually update the guidelines, especially when there are practice changing studies to reflect the latest research. This enables doctors on the front lines to have the most accurate and up to date information.
The current guidelines can be found on the Infectious Diseases Society of America’s website.
