COVID-19 patients may now be able to recover faster

According to clinical trial results, "interferon beta-1a" has shown to aid hospitalized COVID-19 patients recover more quickly. By Day 15/16 post-infection, patients with the treatment clinically improved 2x more. This inhaled immune response protein, "interferon beta-1a" SNG001, reduced severe infection in patients. 

This was a double-blind, randomized, controlled trial which was conducted in UK in various hospitals from the months of March to May with the 98 patients receiving either placebo or the treatment once everyday for 14 days. 58-77% of patients needed supplemental oxygen and 44% of the treatment group clinically improved day 15/16 compared to the placebo group at 22%.

However, 3 patients in the placebo group died and zero patients died in the treatment group, suggesting this Lancet-published study may have some ethical dilemmas if the treatment was offered and not every had a chance to receive it. 22% of placebo became severely ill opposed to the 13% receiving the treatment. 

This treatment has been tested for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases but has not been approved for either but injection is approved for MS. This treatment boosts the immune system by providing localized and high concentrations of the protein rather than targeting specific viral mechanisms. This would be beneficial if COVID-19 becomes co-infectious with another disease in a host, especially during the winter months. Now, the study is going beyond hospitalized group to pre-hospitalized groups. 

However, those on ventilation will not be able to receive the drug this way but rather through injection, which has show to be less effective as it is not transmitted straight into the lungs. In addition, larger and longer time-period trials are needed before implementation as this protein seems to also have the potential to trigger a high inflammation response, relating to cytokine storm. 

- Liz

https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2020/11/interferon-beta-1a-may-help-covid-19-patients-recover-faster?utm_source=Global+Health+NOW+Main+List&utm_campaign=333e0b1a76-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_11_13_02_12&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_8d0d062dbd-333e0b1a76-2994893