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01 April 2020 The tocilizumab, the rheumatoid arthritis drug whose experimentation in Italy against Covid-19 has been started in Naples is an effective treatment against patients seriously affected by this disease. To say it is a Chinese study carried out by Anhui Provincial Hospital and Anhui Fuyang hospital and which is in the pre-publication phase.

Patients who were in serious or critical condition underwent tocilizumab in addition to routine therapy between 5 and 14 February. In a few days, the researchers explain, the fever has returned to normal and the other symptoms have improved significantly. Fifteen of the 20 patients (75%) reduced their oxygen intake and one of them no longer needed oxygen therapy.

TACs showed that lung injury opacity was absorbed in 19 patients (90.5%). The percentage of lymphocytes in the blood, which had decreased in 85% of patients before treatment, returned to normal in 52.6% on the fifth day of treatment. The C-reactive protein, which had been above limits, decreased significantly in 84.2% of patients.

The researchers found no side effects from using the medicine. Nineteen patients were discharged on average 13.5 days after treatment with tocilizumab.