Written By: Longjam Dineshwori | Updated : April 14, 2022 1:04 PM IST
With several Indian states reporting a rise in fresh coronavirus cases, some experts have predicted that the fourth wave of COVID-19 may hit India in June. It is difficult to say how dangerous the fourth wave would be, given the unpredictable nature of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. But, this time, the governments and health authorities are better prepared to tackle another possible wave. Moreover, we now have vaccines and a range of drugs that can reduce the severity of the disease and the risk of death. Studies are also underway to find out more effective treatment methods. In the latest development related to COVID-19 treatment, a new study has suggested that combination therapy involving two types of drugs is more effective than the use of a single drug.
The study, which was recently published in Molecular Therapy, revealed that treatment effects were best when antiviral and anti-inflammatory drugs were combined. Another benefit of this combination therapy is that the longer time window available for antibody therapy.
It was a collaborative study involving researchers from Charit -- Universit tsmedizin Berlin, the Max Delbr ck Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) and Freie Universit t (FU) Berlin.
Countries are slowly returning to normal, but the pandemic is not over yet. COVID-19 infections continue to result in hospitalizations worldwide. As per the Robert Koch Institute estimates, the current COVID-19 hospitalization rate is approximately six to seven per 100,000 of the resident population.
Thankfully, hospitalized COVID-19 patients now have access to several therapeutic options. While some COVID drugs target the virus itself, others fight the inflammation associated with infection.
Generally, first-line treatments for COVID-19 include monoclonal antibodies and dexamethasone, a drug with strong anti-inflammatory properties. Antibody treatment is used within seven days after symptom onset. Antibody drugs neutralize the virus by sticking to the surface of its spike protein, preventing it from entering human cells.
Dexamethasone is usually recommended for hospitalized COVID-19 patients who require oxygen therapy. This drug has been used for years to treat inflammatory conditions caused by an overactive immune response. In COVID-19 patients too, dexamethasone has been shown to reliably dampen the body's inflammatory response. But health experts strongly recommend that the drug should be used in a specific and targeted manner as it may also lead to various side effects, including an increased risk of fungal infections.
In the new study, the research team tested the effects of single and combined antiviral and anti-inflammatory therapies for COVID-19. They found evidence that combination of monoclonal antibodies and dexamethasone is more effective than either of these treatments alone. Further, they said, the use of the drugs opens entirely new treatment time windows.
This type of combination therapy is not included in existing clinical guidelines. And the team noted that this new COVID treatment approach must be evaluated in clinical trials before it can be adopted in clinical practice.
