Over the past few weeks, President Trump’s recent diagnosis has brought attention to the treatments available for people who have COVID-19. We’ve been hearing a lot about some of these therapies lately. Some of them have a lot of research behind them. Others are more theoretical. Here’s what we know right now.
Research shows there are a few medications and treatments that could help people who have COVID-19. They include steroids, such as dexamethasone, and Remdesivir, an anti-viral drug. There is also antibody therapy with convalescent plasma. Convalescent plasma is antibodies from COVID-19 survivors. It can help a patient’s symptoms, shorten their hospital stay and reduce death risk among patients in the hospital. Researchers are also testing other novel drugs now, with the consent of thousands of willing and hopeful patients and families.
We are seeing the benefits of these treatments. For example, we don’t need as many ventilators for COVID-19 patients.
This is great progress. But it doesn’t mean that COVID-19 is no longer a threat. Cases are rising in many parts of the country and we need to remain on guard.
Still, it is gratifying to know that the medical community is fully behind efforts to find better preventions and treatments.
In terms of prevention, we are excited to share with county residents some promising research happening at Anne Arundel Medical Center.
We are testing convalescent plasma in two important situations. One is for people who have recently been highly exposed to someone with COVID-19, but who test negative. The other is for people who are newly COVID-19 positive, but have mild symptoms.
We’ve seen promising results of COVID-19 antibodies in patients who are in the hospital. These studies will test whether the antibodies can prevent people from getting infected or prevent more serious illness in patients with a recent COVID-19 diagnosis.
This is good news for the many county residents who test positive each day. And it’s good news for those who have had exposure to a household member or other close contact with the virus.
If you have recently been exposed to or tested positive for COVID-19, you may be eligible to participate in either of these studies. Visit CovidPlasmaTrial.org to learn more. Or email us at AAMC at research@aahs.org. Enrollment is only possible for a short time after exposure or date of positive test.
Barry Meisenberg, M.D., is the Chair of the Department of Medicine and Chief Academic Officer at Anne Arundel Medical Center and Luminis Health.
