There’s a story that’s gaining a bit of traction that I thought I’d pass along. From ClickOrlando.com physicians are using a drug cocktail to treat COVID-19 that anecdotally is having good results:
OCALA, Fla. – AdventHealth Ocala officials said a coronavirus treatment the hospital is using is leading to a better survival rate.
Officials said the drug combination protocol is known as ICAM.
ICAM uses medications such as vitamins to boost the immune system, steroids to control inflammation, blood thinners to prevent blood clots and antibiotics to help fight infection, according to officials.
“For 76 days our patients had zero transfers to the intensive care unit, zero mechanical ventilator placement, and zero death with ICAM and ICAM-similar regimens. I was absolutely pleased to see our patients getting better faster and we were able to provide the guidance needed to save lives,†said Dr. Carlette Norwood-Williams, director of pharmacy at AdventHealth Ocala. “Our research shows the right medication can influence improvements in a COVID-19 patient’s inflammatory marker response, contributing to the survival of the virus, regardless of age or comorbidity if they can start the therapy as soon as they are diagnosed.â€
It will take lengthier and more formal study to prove out this treatment but the good news is that everything they’re using already is approved. I might also add that it has a passing resemblance to the treatment that was used by South Korean physicians early in the pandemic (HCQ, azithromycin, and zinc).
IMO an effective treatment for COVID-19 is at least as important as a vaccine and maybe more so. Whether a safe, effective vaccine materializes or not, an effective treatment will still be needed. Fingers crossed.
Cant find a study on this. Looks like they have not done one so this falls into the interesting but who knows category. I would note that steroids are now used by almost everyone. Anticaogulants are now routine. The ones not everyone uses now are zinc, the antibiotic and Vit C. I think vitamins usually just give us expensive piss, but maybe we have finally sound someplace where it works. Would like to see a study. Lots of people still use zinc since it is cheap. A number of studies, including our own internal one found that the antibiotic component lead to worse outcomes so that needs a lot of scrutiny. Dosingg, length of therapy, etc.
Overall, my sense is that what they are doing is not that much different than everyone else.
Steve
Just in time.
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/regenerons-regn-cov2-antibody-cocktail-200100709.html
A custom designed drug treatment for COVID; and looks effective (and most effective among those with weak immune response to COVID). I’m guessing this would the first approved drug that was designed from the ground up to target COVID.
There was reason to believe this prospective drug would be effective because it is essentially a manufactured version of convalescent blood.