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U.S. NEWS Wednesday 26 February 2020

Study begins in U.S. to test possible coronavirus treatment

search plan published last But the WHO cited labora- man in Washington state
month, the World Health tory studies that suggested who fell ill after a trip to Wu-
Organization said remde- it might be able to target han, the Chinese city at the
sivir was considered "the SARS and MERS, which are center of the outbreak. He
most promising candidate." cousins of the new virus. is no longer hospitalized,
It was used briefly in some Gilead has provided the but it is not clear wheth-
Ebola patients in Congo drug for use in a small num- er the remdesivir helped
before that study stopped. ber of patients, including a him.q

Dr. Andre Kalil, of the University of Nebraska Medical Center,
speaks in Omaha, Neb., Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2020.
Associated Press
By JOSH FUNK Fourteen people who were
Associated Press evacuated from a cruise
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The ship in Japan are being
first clinical trial in the U.S. treated at the University of
of a possible coronavirus Nebraska Medical Center.
treatment is underway in Twelve of them have test-
Nebraska and is eventu- ed positive for COVID-19.
ally expected to include There are no proven treat-
400 patients at 50 locations ments or vaccines for the
around the world, officials new and mysterious virus,
said Tuesday. which has infected more
Half of the patients in the than 80,000 people world-
international study will re- wide and killed more than
ceive the antiviral medi- 2,700, with the overwhelm-
cine remdesivir while the ing majority of cases in Chi-
other half will receive a na.
placebo. Several other Doctors give patients fluids
studies, including one look- and pain relievers to try to
ing at the same drug, are ease the symptoms, which
already underway interna- can include fever, cough
tionally. and shortness of breath.
Dr. Andre Kalil, who will In the case of those who
oversee the study at the are severely ill, doctors use
University of Nebraska ventilators to help them
Medical Center, said the breathe or a machine
clinical trial was developed that pumps and oxygen-
quickly in response to the ates their blood outside the
virus outbreak that origi- body, easing the burden
nated in China. Patients on the heart and lungs.
who are hospitalized with At least two patient studies
the COVID-19, the disease are already underway in
caused by the virus, will China, including the other
be eligible to join the trial if study involving remdesivir,
they have at least moder- which is made by Gilead
ate symptoms. Sciences, and another that
"The goal here is to help tests a combination HIV
the people that need it the drug containing lopinavir
most," Kalil said. and ritonavir. In a draft re-