[ti:Study: Low-Cost Antidepressant Reduced COVID-19 Hospitalization Risk]
[by:www.21voa.com]
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[00:00.04]A new study has found that a low-cost antidepressant
[00:05.52]reduced the need for hospitalization
[00:09.68]among high-risk COVID-19 patients.
[00:15.04]The drug, called fluvoxamine, is normally used
[00:20.12]to treat mental health conditions such as depression
[00:24.92]and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
[00:29.32]Researchers decided to test the drug’s effectiveness
[00:34.24]against COVID-19 because it is known to reduce inflammation.
[00:41.24]Many problems related to COVID-19 are caused by inflammation
[00:48.12]as the immune system overreacts to the infection.
[00:54.00]The ongoing research also tested other existing drugs
[00:59.52]to see if they could be effective treatments against COVID-19.
[01:06.36]The study involved nearly 1,500 Brazilians
[01:12.20]recently infected with the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.
[01:19.72]The individuals were at risk of serious sickness
[01:24.12]because of other health problems.
[01:27.84]About half the group took fluvoxamine at home for 10 days.
[01:34.36]The rest got a placebo.
[01:37.52]The progress of the individuals was followed for four weeks.
[01:43.12]Of those taking the drug, 11 percent needed hospitalization
[01:49.36]or an extended stay in the emergency room.
[01:53.20]That compared to 16 percent of those who received a placebo.
[01:59.92]The research results were reported Wednesday
[02:04.32]in the publication Lancet Global Health.
[02:08.52]The antidepressant costs a lot less than
[02:12.88]other available treatments for COVID-19.
[02:17.24]By comparison, antibody IV treatments cost about $2,000.
[02:24.68]An experimental antiviral drug for COVID-19 developed
[02:30.80]by Merck costs about $700 per course of treatment.
[02:38.40]The researchers have shared their results
[02:41.80]with the U.S. National Institutes of Health,
[02:45.72]which publishes treatment guidelines.
[02:49.12]They are also hoping to receive a recommendation
[02:53.56]for the treatment from the World Health Organization (WHO).
[02:58.44]Leaders of the study said the drug could help provide
[03:03.48]low-cost protection against severe sickness or death
[03:08.84]in poor countries lacking COVID-19 vaccines.
[03:13.92]Dr. Edward Mills is with McMaster University
[03:19.52]in Ontario, Canada.
[03:21.92]He helped lead the research.
[03:25.36]He told The Associated Press that if the WHO
[03:30.72]does give fluvoxamine a recommendation,
[03:34.76]“you will see (the drug) widely taken up.”
[03:38.12]Mills added that the drug is already
[03:42.40]highly available in many poor nations.
[03:46.36]“We hope it will lead to a lot of lives saved,” he said.
[03:53.32]Some medical experts have said they believe a combination
[03:58.76]of different treatments will likely be used together
[04:03.24]to fight COVID-19 in the future.
[04:07.92]Dr. Paul Sax is with Brigham and Women’s Hospital
[04:12.76]in Boston, Massachusetts and Harvard Medical School.
[04:17.64]He was not involved in the study.
[04:21.68]He told the AP that fluvoxamine and Merck's COVID-19 drug
[04:28.92]work in different ways, but “may be complementary.”
[04:34.56]Merck has asked health officials in the U.S. and
[04:38.72]around the world to approve its antiviral treatment.
[04:44.36]Questions remain about the amount
[04:47.48]of the antidepressant that should be given.
[04:51.16]The researchers also plan to study
[04:55.44]whether fluvoxamine can also help lower-risk patients
[05:00.52]and whether the drug should be combined with other treatments.
[05:05.80]The larger project looked at eight existing drugs
[05:10.52]to see if they could work against the coronavirus.
[05:15.68]The project is still testing a hepatitis drug.
[05:20.20]But others -- including metformin, hydroxychloroquine
[05:25.52]and ivermectin -- did not show good results.
[05:30.60]I’m Bryan Lynn. 更多听力请访问21VOA.COM