Ask a Doctor: Are there drugs that can treat the coronavirus?

FILE - In this Wednesday, March 11, 2020 file photo, a technician prepares COVID-19 coronavirus patient samples for testing at a laboratory in New York's Long Island. Wide scale testing is a critical part of tracking and containing infectious diseases. But the U.S. effort has been plagued by a series of missteps, including accuracy problems with the test kits the CDC sent to other labs and bureaucratic hurdles that slowed the entrance of large, private sector labs. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
FILE - In this Wednesday, March 11, 2020 file photo, a technician prepares COVID-19 coronavirus patient samples for testing at a laboratory in New York's Long Island. Wide scale testing is a critical part of tracking and containing infectious diseases. But the U.S. effort has been plagued by a series of missteps, including accuracy problems with the test kits the CDC sent to other labs and bureaucratic hurdles that slowed the entrance of large, private sector labs. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Question: Is it true that there are already drugs available that can be used to treat coronavirus?

Answer: There are currently no drugs or vaccines on the market that have been proven to effectively treat people infected by COVID-19. Furthermore, rough estimates of the time needed to develop an effective coronavirus vaccine vary between 12 and 18 months from last January (when work on a vaccine first began) because of the time required for development and the clinical trials that follow. In the short run, the best defense against COVID-19 continues to be your strict observation of social-distancing practices and good health hygiene such as handwashing.

It is true that there are a number of existing drugs currently being studied for their possible effectiveness in treating COVID-19. One such drug is chloroquine (and the closely related hydroxychloroquine). The drug was developed in Europe in the late 1930s to treat people with malaria (a parasite, not a virus), and it is still widely used for this purpose today. It is also used for lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. Unfortunately, inappropriate use and hoarding of this drug is leading to shortages for those patients.

When a similar coronavirus (SARS-CoV-1) broke out in 2003, chloroquine was demonstrated to have therapeutic effects in treating the infection in the laboratory. SARS stands for severe acute respiratory syndrome. Like its 2003 predecessor, COVID-19 is also a SARS coronavirus. But viruses mutate and adapt at the genetic level, and what's true for one virus may not hold true for the ones that follow.

In fact, clinical trials of chloroquine in treating COVID-19 have not yet produced definitive positive results. A small recent French study once thought to have indicated possible therapeutic benefits has since been widely dismissed for its questionable methodology. Other studies of chloroquine have shown no benefits at all in treating COVID-19. Several other drugs are also being tested, but those studies are not completed. Some others that initially showed promise have been found not to work. It is very important to recognize that these drugs should only be used if prescribed by a physician or practitioner and then only in the context of a clinical study. There have been several deaths around the world, including at least one in the U.S., by people taking one of these drugs improperly.

One therapy in particular may offer hope. The blood plasma of recovered COVID-19 patients is currently an FDA investigational treatment for COVID-19. It contains antibodies for the virus and may provide significant benefits. This type of antibody therapy has been used for various conditions for over 100 years, but would primarily be for the seriously ill in hospitals. Blood Assurance is currently accepting donations of plasma from recovered patients. Call 1-800-962-0628 for inquiries.

For answers to additional questions, call the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Health Department COVID-19 Hotline at 423-209-8383.

- Dr. Paul Hendricks, health officer, Chattanooga-Hamilton County Health Department; member, Chattanooga-Hamilton County Medical Society

Upcoming Events