COVID-19: Is there a treatment?

Written: March 30th.
(Information around COVID-19 is rapidly evolving. Please check the CDC and WHO websites for current information and guidelines. Check your state government websites for information specific to your region.)

There have been a number of confusing headlines about treatments for COVID-19 (COronaVIrus Disease-2019), that is the disease caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome CoronaVirus 2). You may be confused about what’s going on. Here is what you need to know:

  • Plaquenil (hydroxychloroquine) is a medicine used to prevent malaria and also to treat auto immune disorders like Rheumatoid Arthritis and Lupus (aka, SLE, or systemic lupus erythematosus). Chloroquine is used also the prevention of malaria. You may have taken this medicine when traveling abroad.

    • This medication is widely available but is not currently approved for prevention or treatment of COVID-19. However, based on some promising data from France and China, it is being trialed in hospitalized patients here in the US.

    • The FDA has given an Emergency Authorization to stockpile hydroxychloroquine due to this world-wide crisis. This does not mean that the drug is approved for official use to treat COVID, simply that they have stored the drug to be used in the case that is found to be effective for COVID and is then needed in high numbers.

  • Azithromycin (aka Z-pak) is a common antibiotic used sometimes to treat respiratory infections.

    • It was noted in the president’s tweet to be very promising in conjunction with the above medications. It is also currently not approved for prevention or treatment of COVID-19.

    • A French study showed that there may be benefit to adding this drug to Hydroxychloroquine to enhance the anti-viral effect.

  • Remdesivir is an experimental anti-viral drug that was developed to be used against Ebola.

    • This is neither licensed nor approved for any treatments currently in the US. However, it is, on an experimental basis being used in COVID-19 patients with severe symptoms in hospitalized settings.

There are currently no approved treatments for COVID-19 but there is a ton of work being done at a rapid pace to help find an effective and safe treatment. Many patients are treated with the above medications in clinical trials. Thank you to all our health care workers who are helping communities and the world by doing this work!

If you are feeling symptoms of fever, fatigue, chills, cough, shortness of breath—and you are worried about COVID—please contact your primary care physician. Most locations are doing telemedicine (visits via the phone with or without video chat) and not in-person visits. Please call ahead of time to get guidance on how to manage your symptoms.