Top expert recommends triple antiviral therapy in COVID-19 treatment | Exclusive Interview with Ivan Hung
A simple search for coronavirus disease treatment or vaccine on google tells you that till date, there are no specific vaccines or medicines that can treat COVID-19. However, scientists across the globe are in the race to find one and clinical trials on humans have also begun in few countries. With the coronavirus positive cases worldwide surpassing 5 million and few countries have found some combination of drugs to treat COVID-19 patients to some success. India TV Digital spoke to Hong Kong University Professor Ivan Fan-Ngai Hung, whose team has been working on a triple combination of antivirals to treat COVID-19 patients. Importantly, Professor Hung, Assistant Dean, Department of Medicine, LKS Faculty of Medicine at the University of Hong Kong, "strongly recommends" the antiviral therapy. Prof Hung, a dual specialist in Infectious Disease and Gastroenterology and Hepatology, is at the forefront in the fight against coronavirus.
PROPOSES TRIPLE COMBINATION THERAPY
The triple combination administered on COVID-19 patients included interferon beta-1b, lopinavir-ritonavir, and ribavirin. Backing his study, Professor Hung added: "Patients treated with the triple therapy of interferon beta-1b, lopinavir/ritonavir and ribavirin have much faster alleviation of clinical symptoms than the control, average 4 vs.8 days and faster to negative nasopharyngeal viral load; 7 vs 14.5 days."
"Strongly recommend," the Hong University professor went on to say when asked about the efficacy of the treatment. He said earlier the treatment is given, from the onset of the symptoms, the better. This will prevent the subsequent complications of pneumonia and respiratory failure in the second week, he reckoned.
CONTRAINDICATIONS
According to Mr Hung, the treatment is contraindicated in pregnancy. Ribavirin is harmful to the fetus and should not be given in such cases, he says. "Patients, both male and female, who consumed ribavirin have to perform contraception for six months." He further said, "Lopinavir/ritonavir is contraindicated in patients with cardiac arrhythmia (prolonged QTc syndrome, second and third-degree heart block) and needs to undergo ECG at baseline. Some patients who took lopinavir/ritonavir might have diarrhoea in nausea in the first few days and need to monitor their liver function." We did not have a no-treatment control, Hung said as he mentioned limitations of the study. "All cases were mild to moderate as we have very few severe cases in Hong Kong," he added.
Talking about other drugs in the race to treat coronavirus, Ivan Hung said remdesivir appeared "very promising" to him. Hydroxychloroquine with combination with other antiviral needs further trials assessment, he said. According to Hung, vaccines for COVID-19 should be available within 18-24 months, however, targeted antiviral might take years.
(This is from an interview with Professor Hung. We strongly advise you to not take any medicine before consulting your doctor)
