dice wrote:Showtime23 wrote:coldfish wrote:I noted before that I have had mild symptoms for a week or so. After I started getting some chest tightness, I called the doctor. Here in northeast ohio, the doctor told me that they could only perform 600 tests per day. They were saving those tests for active AIDS patients, chemo patients, people over 70, people with pre-existing lung problems, etc. The doctor said that if I was in any other country, I would get tested. I asked him what the trigger point for me doing something is. He said that if I was at rest and was having difficulty breathing, I should go to an ER. Basically, near death. Other than that, rest and fluids and avoid people until 3 days after symptoms gone.
The numbers out there are complete and utter BS. They are only testing severe cases and some massive number are either completely hidden or mild to moderate.
I have been saying this for a while but I had it thrown in my face this morning. The numbers are complete crap.
Thats bad. Do you think its corona? If so why not try to take aids medication?
AIDS patients are getting tested because their immune systems are compromised. the medication they are on has nothing to do with treating coronavirus. there is no drug known to help w/ coronavirus right now and there won't be for some time
Not entirely true. There's no large proven benefit of any particular medications, but there is data out there of drugs we're using to treat severe cases. Obviously none of these are large clinical trials so data should be taken with a grain of salt, but there is some data out there.
- Lopinavir/Ritonavir - this is a medication combo for AIDS that is being used in China and selectively in the United States. A recent NEJM randomized trial concluded that this was not effective, but there are some problems with that trial so who knows the reality (small sample size of 200 which may have not been powered to detect a mortality difference (there actually was a small one between groups), and delayed use - the median time from symptom to randomization was 13 days - as an example the influenza medication Tamiflu is only effective if used 1-3 days after onset of symptoms)
- Chloroquine/Hydroxychloroquine - early data from china and france are suggesting this is effective, and in vitro studies so far has shown good activity against covid in cells. However obviously no randomized trial data, but this is often used as an option to treat patients based on the preliminary data
- high dose Vitamin C - early reports from china suggests this can may also be able to decrease disease severity in covid. No randomized trial data, but some prior retrospective analysis in prior studies showing efficacy in septic shock, and VICTAS trial is ongoing (im actually not sure whether they're done or not - clinicaltrials.gov says they've completed recruiting)
- favipravir - haven't seen this available in the US, but reports out of china is that this japanese influenza medication has been effective, again no randomized trial data yet
- and of course, remdesivir - probably the drug with the most potential, effective in vitro and by reports clinically as well, however only available through use of clinical trial/compassionate use from Gilead, and requires good end organ function (ie kidneys/liver have to be normal, which a lot of severe covid patients unfortunately don't have)
- some other candidates as well like nitazoxanide, antiinflammatories like tocilizumab which may also be options on a case-by-case basis, but also similarly no large randomized data either.
