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Remdesivir, a cocktail of antibodies, and now also the steroid dexamethasone. It sounds like a big chemical club given to the President of the United States, Donald Trump (74), according to his personal physician Sean Conley (40).
“The Swiss get these drugs too,” says Peter Steiger, deputy director of the Institute for Intensive Care Medicine at the University Hospital Zurich. «But: the indication has to be correct! Not everything is given together with all those who tested positive, it is necessary to have certain symptoms. “Trump’s medication is administered when a Covid 19 patient needs oxygen, the condition deteriorates and he has clear symptoms.
The expert explains Trump’s drug list on Blick TV:
Remdesivir
“We used to get remdesivir only in studies. It is now accessible everywhere. “The Ebola drug could shorten the duration of illness by about four days. However, it has not yet been shown to actually prevent death.
Antibody cocktail
“It is something that we can only do in studies. That is not allowed yet. But it is no different in the United States. “The expert is cautious:” Let’s see how much it helps. But it is very promising. “
Dexamethasone
“Dexamethasone is something that has been done in a major study in England.” This has shown that the patient’s condition can improve if there are signs of inflammation. “But you have to say: the death rate there is significantly higher than here. That is why she was there with dexamethasone as she was with us without it ”, the expert points out to the specific characteristics of the country.
But the drug is now common in Switzerland too. “We give it to patients who need oxygen, who are hospitalized and we can see that they are worse and that the signs of inflammation are increasing.” Does that suggest that Donald Trump is more seriously ill? Intensive care physician Steiger does not want to make a remote diagnosis. Based on information released by the White House, he says cautiously: “We probably would not have existed, but of course I don’t know exactly the circumstances.”
So does Trump’s medical team follow the motto: A lot helps a lot?
“I think Donald Trump has already been given a lot, basically everything that is reasonably available on the market. Of course I don’t know the exact circumstances, but the therapy is not very different from our patients, ”says Peter Steiger.
Mr. and Mrs. Schweizer only expected such treatment at the hospital if the situation was really serious. The expert explains: If the course is severe, oxygen therapy would be the first option. There are different options. Remdesivir is also a drug that is now given very quickly. “And we’ll see if he qualifies for plasma therapy.” Several studies are currently underway on the antibody cocktail that Trump also received. Acceptance of one depends on age and risk factors. The antibodies came from patients who had already been through Covid-19.
Doctors about crown therapy: Are the Swiss also getting the Trump treatment?(09:03)
“There is no better treatment at this time”
On Sunday, Trump’s doctors admitted that the patient’s oxygen saturation had dropped twice. A sign that things are getting really tough? “That’s a sign that the virus is really there and active,” says Peter Steiger. At first, the virus attacks the lungs and blood vessels. This leads to an inflammatory reaction. “This makes the whole container a little thicker. And this makes it more difficult for oxygen to pass from the blood to the organs, but also vice versa, of course, from the lungs to the blood vessels. “That is why deep oxygen saturation is typical for Covid patients. -19. “At first, often without shortness of breath, over time, when things progress, even with shortness of breath.”
How important is deep oxygen saturation? “That depends on how low the value is. But it takes a long time before it gets really dangerous. And as a doctor, of course, you can improve satiety just by giving oxygen. “You don’t need to go directly to the ventilator for this – doctors have several options depending on the situation. BlickTV expert shows Editor-in-Chief Jonas exactly how this works Projer.
As for Trump’s “VIP treatment,” it is clear: “There is no better deal right now.” After all, the “miracle drug” against the virus has yet to be found. “We tried many things. We know that a lot of things that were exaggerated at the beginning are of no use, unfortunately. “For example, the HIV drug or the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine, which Trump also took for two weeks in May.” You don’t give that right now. Meanwhile, remdesivir, dexamethasone, and plasma therapy show the most promise. ” But there is no point in simply giving the patient as much as possible. That might even hurt. (relationship)
