Over 500 GP surgeries are asking those with Coronavirus symptoms, a continuous dry cough and a fever, to test out existing drugs.
The research is only really being targeted at over 50s or people over 65, because of how vulnerable they are to the virus compared to the rest of the population. If they can alleviate some of the more serious symptoms in older patents, doctors could potentially go on to save even more lives.
You can fill out an online questionnaire to see if you’re eligible to be trialed. You can also discuss whether you’re able to participate by asking your GP the next time you’re there.
The trial is being conducted company wide and is being lead by teams at Oxford University. Their goal is to test the best currently available drugs, which have been recommended by doctors higher up the ladder, and the treatment for those on the trail includes:
- a seven-day course of hydroxychloroquine, usually used for acute malaria or arthritis (which has shown promise in other covid patients)
- the antibiotic azithromycin
The participants will still be able to take paracetamol to help relieve the symptoms they have.
Once on the trial, they will have to answer questions every day, for the duration of a few weeks, to update the scientists on how the drugs are working and how they’re feeling.
Prof Fiona Watt, executive chair of the Medical Research Council, which is funding the trial, said: “We need more people to join the trial to see if we can identify a drug that helps prevent people reaching hospital and speeds up their recovery.”
