Coronavirus doctor's diary: The drug combination that may help us beat Covid-19

Dr John Wright of Bradford Royal Infirmary (BRI) describes some of the trials under way to find a cure for Covid-19, and suggests that a combination of three different types of drug may hold the key.

At BRI we are now participating in eight different clinical trials to try and find a cure for Covid-19.

We are part of a huge international effort. It feels like all the light of global science has been concentrated into a laser beam directed at this almost invisible virus.

Last week at BRI we recruited the first patient in the UK for a small trial to test whether a new drug made by AstraZeneca is safe and effective. This is one of a number of small trials - jointly referred to as the Accord trial - designed to assess further drugs that may be added to the Recovery trial.

The hope is that this AstraZeneca drug, which does not yet have a name, will help to damp down a dangerous overreaction of the immune system that occurs in a small proportion of patients, sending the body into shock and closing down vital organs, such as the lungs, heart, blood vessels and kidney.

I suspect that a vaccine for Covid-19 is still a year away, so these trials searching for treatments are critical.

The doctors here are looking ahead to a time - not too far off, they hope - when anyone with early symptoms will be able to drive to a testing centre, get swabbed, get a quick result and a prescription for a combination of effective drugs, before the worst of their symptoms take hold.

This combination may include an antiviral drug, an immune suppressing drug, and an anti-inflammatory drug.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-52801858

HELP US SPREAD GOOD NEWS!

I run this site in my spare time and thoroughly enjoy giving you all positive news!  If you've enjoyed the site we'd love for you to help me share the good news far and wide, share us on Reddit, your Facebook or your Twitter and spread a little positivity around.