Scientists say common antidepressants can help relieve the symptoms of coronavirus emerging coronavirus (Covid-19).
Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in the United States study the effect of fluvoxamine against Covid 19. Fluvoxamine belongs to a group of drugs that fall under the category of antidepressants, and it is usually prescribed either for depression or for obsessive-compulsive disorder. However, the researchers believe, the drug may help prevent "cytokine storms" - a condition in which the immune system excessively controls the body and immerses it in immune cells called cytokines in response to resistance to the Coronavirus.
A rabid immune response can lead to a potentially life threatening organ, and this has been a major concern in patients with acute coronavirus. The researchers decided that fluvoxamine might be a possible treatment for coronavirus, after it was discovered that the drug had reduced the production of cytokines in patients with sepsis. If proven effective, this treatment will be a safe and affordable option to combat the epidemic
I am excited to see the results of this clinical trial, "said Professor Alban Gaultier, University of Virginia researcher.
"If it is proven to reduce the symptoms of Covid 19, this treatment will be a safe and affordable option for fighting the epidemic," he says.
"Moreover, this approach can also be applied to other inflammatory conditions caused by cytokine storms, such as sepsis."
A team from The University of Washington, led by Professor Eric J. Linz, plans to test the effects of fluvoxamine on 152 patients with Covid 19 in Illinois and Missouri. Patients will receive either fluvoxamine or a placebo while being quarantined at home. They must report oxygen levels and other vital signs to the research team every day, either through phone calls or over the Internet, using thermometers, oxygen sensors and automatic blood pressure monitors provided.
The researchers say that even if the drug is shown to be ineffective against Covid 19, participants in the experiment will benefit from close supervision by doctors, who will help them determine if they need additional treatment.
Professor Linz said, "Using a psychiatric medication to treat Covid 19 may seem counter-intuitive, but it is no more intuitive than the use of malaria," he added. "This drug has been around for decades, so we know how to use it safely."