This Gout Medication May Offer Relief If You Are Infected With The COVID-19 Virus
COVID-19 is one virus that has managed to confound scientists with its unpredictable nature. Since the beginning of the emergence of this deadly pathogen, the global community of scientists have come together to come up with a cure to this infection. Till date, we do not have a 100 per cent effective drug that can prevent and cure this disease. Though vaccines have been developed, these too provide only partial protection. Many existing drugs have also been repurposed for this infection. The latest drug to join this list is a gout drug, a type of arthritis that causes severe pain, redness, swelling and tenderness in joints, approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Though this medication is used mainly to treat gout, it also has strong anti-viral properties and can effectively be used against COVID-19, says a new study from University of Georgia's College of Veterinary Medicine. The study is published in the journal Scientific Reports.
The drug that can reduce infection and disease
According to researchers of this study, the drug, Probenecid, has broad anti-viral properties. This makes it a prime candidate to fight COVID-19 and other common and deadly RNA respiratory viruses like RSV and flu. This drug has been in use for more than 40 years and comes with hardly any side effects. It can be used to reduce infection severity and disease.
It prevents the virus from replicating
When viruses attack a human host, it causes the cells to replicate and produce more of the pathogen. Probenecid blocks this process and thereby prevents the virus from infecting a person's cells. This drug works as a prophylactic prior to virus exposure and also as a post-exposure treatment. Researchers came to this conclusion after experimenting on animal models against the COVID-19 and flu viruses. It is also seen to fight the RSV in vitro, and researchers say that in vivo studies are still going on. Though experts recommend its use mainly after a person tests positive for the COVID-19 virus, the prophylactic nature of the medication indicates that it can also be given to people who are exposed to the virus to bring down risk of infection and disease.
Safe and easy to use
At present, healthcare professionals use mainly remdesivir and monoclonal antibodies to treat seriously ill COVID-19 patients. These medications are expensive, in short supply and difficult to administer since it is given through an IV. Usually, by the time a patient is given these medications, it is usually too late. On the other hand, Probenecid is easily available and can be taken orally. But researchers are yet to decide on the correct dosage for patients to effectively fight the virus.