Study: Low-Cost Antidepressant Reduced COVID-19 Hospitalization Risk
2021-10-29
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1A new study has found that a low-cost antidepressant reduced the need for hospitalization among high-risk COVID-19 patients.
2The drug, called fluvoxamine, is normally used to treat mental health conditions such as depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
3Researchers decided to test the drug's effectiveness against COVID-19 because it is known to reduce inflammation.
4Many problems related to COVID-19 are caused by inflammation as the immune system overreacts to the infection.
5The ongoing research also tested other existing drugs to see if they could be effective treatments against COVID-19.
6The study involved nearly 1,500 Brazilians recently infected with the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.
7The individuals were at risk of serious sickness because of other health problems.
8About half the group took fluvoxamine at home for 10 days.
9The rest got a placebo.
10The progress of the individuals was followed for four weeks.
11Of those taking the drug, 11 percent needed hospitalization or an extended stay in the emergency room.
12That compared to 16 percent of those who received a placebo.
13The research results were reported Wednesday in the publication Lancet Global Health.
14The antidepressant costs a lot less than other available treatments for COVID-19.
15By comparison, antibody IV treatments cost about $2,000.
16An experimental antiviral drug for COVID-19 developed by Merck costs about $700 per course of treatment.
17The researchers have shared their results with the U.S. National Institutes of Health, which publishes treatment guidelines.
18They are also hoping to receive a recommendation for the treatment from the World Health Organization (WHO).
19Leaders of the study said the drug could help provide low-cost protection against severe sickness or death in poor countries lacking COVID-19 vaccines.
20Dr. Edward Mills is with McMaster University in Ontario, Canada.
21He helped lead the research.
22He told The Associated Press that if the WHO does give fluvoxamine a recommendation, "you will see (the drug) widely taken up."
23Mills added that the drug is already highly available in many poor nations.
24"We hope it will lead to a lot of lives saved," he said.
25Some medical experts have said they believe a combination of different treatments will likely be used together to fight COVID-19 in the future.
26Dr. Paul Sax is with Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts and Harvard Medical School.
27He was not involved in the study.
28 He told the AP that fluvoxamine and Merck's COVID-19 drug work in different ways, but "may be complementary."
29Merck has asked health officials in the U.S. and around the world to approve its antiviral treatment.
30Questions remain about the amount of the antidepressant that should be given.
31The researchers also plan to study whether fluvoxamine can also help lower-risk patients and whether the drug should be combined with other treatments.
32The larger project looked at eight existing drugs to see if they could work against the coronavirus.
33The project is still testing a hepatitis drug.
34But others -- including metformin, hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin -- did not show good results.
35I'm Bryan Lynn.
1A new study has found that a low-cost antidepressant reduced the need for hospitalization among high-risk COVID-19 patients. 2The drug, called fluvoxamine, is normally used to treat mental health conditions such as depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder. 3Researchers decided to test the drug's effectiveness against COVID-19 because it is known to reduce inflammation. Many problems related to COVID-19 are caused by inflammation as the immune system overreacts to the infection. 4The ongoing research also tested other existing drugs to see if they could be effective treatments against COVID-19. 5The study involved nearly 1,500 Brazilians recently infected with the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. The individuals were at risk of serious sickness because of other health problems. 6About half the group took fluvoxamine at home for 10 days. The rest got a placebo. The progress of the individuals was followed for four weeks. 7Of those taking the drug, 11 percent needed hospitalization or an extended stay in the emergency room. That compared to 16 percent of those who received a placebo. 8The research results were reported Wednesday in the publication Lancet Global Health. 9The antidepressant costs a lot less than other available treatments for COVID-19. By comparison, antibody IV treatments cost about $2,000. An experimental antiviral drug for COVID-19 developed by Merck costs about $700 per course of treatment. 10The researchers have shared their results with the U.S. National Institutes of Health, which publishes treatment guidelines. They are also hoping to receive a recommendation for the treatment from the World Health Organization (WHO). 11Leaders of the study said the drug could help provide low-cost protection against severe sickness or death in poor countries lacking COVID-19 vaccines. 12Dr. Edward Mills is with McMaster University in Ontario, Canada. He helped lead the research. He told The Associated Press that if the WHO does give fluvoxamine a recommendation, "you will see (the drug) widely taken up." 13Mills added that the drug is already highly available in many poor nations. "We hope it will lead to a lot of lives saved," he said. 14Some medical experts have said they believe a combination of different treatments will likely be used together to fight COVID-19 in the future. 15Dr. Paul Sax is with Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts and Harvard Medical School. He was not involved in the study. He told the AP that fluvoxamine and Merck's COVID-19 drug work in different ways, but "may be complementary." Merck has asked health officials in the U.S. and around the world to approve its antiviral treatment. 16Questions remain about the amount of the antidepressant that should be given. The researchers also plan to study whether fluvoxamine can also help lower-risk patients and whether the drug should be combined with other treatments. 17The larger project looked at eight existing drugs to see if they could work against the coronavirus. The project is still testing a hepatitis drug. But others -- including metformin, hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin -- did not show good results. 18I'm Bryan Lynn. 19The Associated Press and Agence France-Presse reported on this story. Bryan Lynn adapted the reports for VOA Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. 20We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. 21___________________________________________________ 22Words in This Story 23obsessive-compulsive disorder - n. a mental condition in which a person has frequent, unwanted thoughts or feelings that make them feel that they have to repeat particular actions 24inflammation - n. a red, painful and often swollen area in or on a part of the body 25immune system - n. the cells and tissue in the body that fights against infection 26placebo - n. a substance that is given to a patient in a medical study that has no physical effect 27course - n. a fixed number of regular medical treatments 28recommendation - n. a piece of advice about what to do in a particular situation 29complement - v. to complete or enhance by providing something additional