COVID-19: Antiviral drug can help boost recovery of infected patients, says study

A recent study has found that a previously known antiviral drug named 'Interferon' can speed up the recovery of COVID-19 patients. The study added that it may be called an advance process that may help flatten the curve of coronavirus pandemic across the world. According to the study,  treatment with the drug interferon (IFN) may significantly boost the virus clearance and reduce levels of inflammatory proteins in COVID-19 patients. The study has been published in the journal Frontiers in Immunology. 

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Antiviral drug assessment

In the current study, the researchers reportedly assessed the effectiveness of the drug in a group of 77 patients with coronavirus in Wuhan, China. The study noted that none of the patients required any ICU treatments. Scientists have reportedly found that the treatment with this drug has been in clinical use for many years and the drug has significantly reduced the duration of virus in the upper respiratory tract on an average by about seven days. 

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Another Study

Meanwhile, another study has found out that a combination of three antiviral drugs along with an immunity booster quickly treats COVID-19 patients. Even though researchers claim that the approach requires more testing but it can be a potential treatment for coronavirus infection. Dr Kwok-Yung at Hong Kong University and colleagues reportedly tested the combination of HIV drug, remdesvir with ritonavir and lopanivir, the general antiviral drug ribavirin and a multiple sclerosis drug beta interferon.

The findings of the new study came when the only authorized treatment for coronavirus disease remains the experimental antiviral drug remdesivir. Countries including the United States and Japan have already approved the emergency use of the drug over the patients who show severe symptoms of COVID-19 infection. However, the global infections of the novel virus have surpassed four million but the supply of HIV drug is limited. The patients under the study at Hong Kong University had mild to moderate symptoms and were cured in a week after testing positive of COVID-19. Some medical professionals reportedly also advised treating the patients in the preliminary stage of the disease. 

The researchers at Hong Kong University gave HIV drug combinations while others were subjected to triple-drug therapy. According to the study published in the Lancet medical journal, the COVID-19 patients who were given just the HIV drugs took at least 12 days to heal from the disease while the ones who received the cocktail of drugs tested negative of coronavirus in just seven days. 

READ: Antiviral Drug Remdesivir May Be Effective In Stopping Replication Of Coronavirus: ICMR

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