Coronavirus started with the central city of Wuhan in China but is now spreading to different parts of the world including Estonia, Iran, South Korea, Denmark, Iraq, Japan, and many more. Keeping in mind the dangerous impact of the deadly disease, researchers in the U.S. have begun a controlled clinical trial to evaluate an experimental treatment for the Coronavirus or COVID-19. The trial has been sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH).
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There are currently 14 confirmed COVID-19 cases reported in the United States and an additional 39 cases among persons repatriated to the United States. Participant for the trial is also a repatriated American who was quarantined on the Diamond Princess Cruise Ship in Yokohama, Japan. The trial has started at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), Omaha. It’s the first clinical trial in the United States that’s experimenting a treatment for Coronavirus (COVID-19).
As a part of the treatment evaluation, researchers are testing the safety and efficacy of the antiviral drug - remdesivir. The antiviral drug has also been tested before on humans affected with Ebola virus. There are currently no specific treatments that have been approved by the FDA (Food And Drug Administration) to treat people with Coronavirus. So, the ongoing trial around remdesivir plays a crucial role.
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To compare and analyze the outcome of the experimental evaluation, researchers would be comparing the results on the participant on the 15th day in case of remdesivir and in case of placebo. This would help them assess if the antiviral drug remdesivir helped provide any clinical benefits against placebo.
“We urgently need a safe and effective treatment for COVID-19. Although remdesivir has been administered to some patients with COVID-19, we do not have solid data to indicate it can improve clinical outcomes [...] A randomized, placebo-controlled trial is the gold standard for determining if an experimental treatment can benefit patients,” mentioned Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., NIAID Director and U.S. Coronavirus Task Force member, in the press release.
In China, 29 new deaths have been reported, and the death toll has reached a total of 2,744. Confirmed cases are reaching 78,497.
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