Coronavirus: The Race for a Cure

With no known cure for coronavirus COVID-19 the race is on to find a treatment for the thousands of patients already infected.

As the virus reached Zambia this week a number of trials are already underway in China, as well as in the US and Europe with more planned in the coming days and weeks.

In addition the World Health Organization conducted an analysis of potential treatments last month and has since announced that it will launch a multiarm, multicountry clinical trial for potential therapies. Countries expected to participate include Argentina, Bahrain, Canada, France, Iran, Norway, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland and Thailand.

One of the more promising drugs being trailed is Kaletra. This is a combination of two anti-HIV drugs, lopinavir and ritonavir. However, a study from China published in the New England Journal of Medicine has suggested that the combination did not improve survival or speed recovery in trials of the drug conducted to date. The study is not conclusive, however, and the high death rate of its patients could be a result of the focus on patients already severly ill.

Another drug to be trialled is the antiviral remdesivir, which is one of the drugs previously trialled for Ebola.

A third is the anti-malarial chloroquine, which is also being trialled in China and France. According to a group of French researchers writing in the International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents last month the drug appeared to shorten the time that people are infectious for. As the drug is off-patent it could be produced relatively cheaply at speed.

Meanwhile, reports from China suggest the Japanese flu drug favipiravir, sold under the name Avigan, could be effective, with promising results on early trials. After trialling the medicine on 340 patients the researchers claim it was shown to reduce recovery times and improve lung conditions, with infected patients administered with the drug testing negative for a media of four days later, compared to 11 days for those not receiving the drug.

Inhalers are also being experimented with. Biotech firm Synairgen trialling a SNG001 inhaler on 100 people in the UK. It was originally developed as a potential treatment for chronic-obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) and works by boosting a patient’s immune system so as to help them fight off the virus.

However, even if these treatments prove effective it would be weeks, and possibly even several months, before they could be rolled out on the scale required meaning that for now the focus remains on advising citizens to take preventive measures. These include the regular washing of hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, avoiding touching your face and keeping distance from those displaying symptoms.

Those experiencing symptoms are advised to contact the Zambia National Public Health Institute using the following numbers:

Mobile +260 97 4493553

Mobile +260 96 4638726 

Mobile +260 95 3898941