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(afp)
Scientists in Hong Kong have reported successful treatment of the coronavirus with a three-drug cocktail. Microbiologist Kwok-Yung Yuen wrote in the study published in the journal “The Lancet” that the combination of the various active substances in patients with a mild to moderate course of the disease rapidly reduces the amount of virus in the body. However, it remains to be investigated whether this is also the case for seriously ill crown patients.
127 people infected with a crown at six different hospitals in Hong Kong participated in the study. 86 of them received the antiviral drug cocktail consisting of the interferon beta-1b agent used to treat multiple sclerosis, the combination of active ingredients used against HIV, lopinavir / ritonavir and the anti-hepatitis drug ribavirin.
The remaining study participants only received the HIV drug lopinavir / ritonavir. Treatment began on average five days after the patient first showed symptoms of Covid’s disease 19.
In study participants treated with the drug combination, tests for coronavirus were negative on average after seven days. According to the study, this took an average of twelve days in the control group. With the help of the drug cocktail, the symptoms of the disease disappeared after an average of four days, twice as fast as with the other patients.
The study provided “early but important” information, the authors wrote. They suggested further clinical trials, in which, in particular, the agent interferon beta-1b could be combined with another active ingredient.
