‘Watershed moment:†Chicagoans among first to test promising treatment for COVID-19
Medical Watch
by: Dina Bair, Katharin Czink
Posted: Mar 31, 2020 / 11:06 PM CDT / Updated: Mar 31, 2020 / 11:06 PM CDT
CHICAGO — A drug doctors have mentioned repeatedly as a possible therapy for COVID-19 holds out hope for reducing severity and duration of symptoms.
And now Chicagoans will be first in line to test it.
Inside the Medical Intensive Care Unit at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, an IV drip and a drug are a step toward a treatment for COVID-19.
Northwestern Medicine Infectious Disease Physician Dr Babafemi Taiwo called it “a watershed moment.â€
It is one patients and their families around the world have been hoping for since the start of the global pandemic.
In Chicago, an 89-year-old patient led the way toward a possible new treatment when, earlier this week, he was among the first to take part in a clinical trial to test Remdesivir, an anti-viral medication that was initially developed for Ebola patients. It is known to be active against other forms of coronavirus including SARS-COV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
“It is a really special drug from that perspective and hopefully one that will live up to his promise,†Taiwo said.
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https://wgntv.com/news/medical-watch/watershed-moment-chicagoans-among-first-to-test-promising-treatment-for-covid-19/
