Can Arthritis Drugs Help Fight COVID-19?!

Avoiding COVID-19 is one thing… but surviving it if you become infected is another.

The vaccine should help prevent it (although time will tell).

But researchers have been frantically searching for a way to help boost survival in those who become infected.

And it finally looks as if they’ve found their needle in the haystack.

Two common drugs, used for arthritis, have been found to reduce the risk of dying from COVID-19—while also shortening recovery time.

There is an ongoing trial called the REMAP-CAP trial. This trial evaluates the effects of various treatments, specifically relating to survival and recovery time in critically ill patients with COVID-19 in the ICU (intensive care unit).

It includes over 3,900 patients across 15 countries at more than 290 hospitals.

Using the data collected from this trial, researchers zeroed in on the effects of two immunosuppressive arthritis drugs, tocilizumab and sarilumab.

The analysis showed that tocilizumab and sarilumab both reduce mortality in critically ill COVID-19 patients by about 8.5 percent.

The control group’s hospital mortality rate was 35.8 percent, while the mortality rate in patients receiving these drugs was 27.3 percent.

The results also showed that patients given these drugs spent about one week less time in the ICU.

Now, it’s important to note that other studies have shown the opposite: that these drugs DON’T impact disease progression or survival.

What made the difference?

People received treatment within 24 hours of being given organ support, such as being put on a ventilator.

In other words, there’s a narrow window of opportunity to begin treatment with these arthritis drugs to gain the most benefit.

Keep this study handy to show to your doctor if you or anyone you know ends up with a severe case of COVID-19.

It might just change your life.

 

P.S. Fortunately, there are things you can do to protect yourself in the face of the virus. Learn about the that can slash your risk of COVID-19.