Potential Coronavirus Treatments Enter Large Clinical Trials | The Institute for Creation Research
Potential Coronavirus Treatments Enter Large Clinical Trials
Some good news in potential treatment options for COVID-19 was reported in the American journal Science.1 Four new treatment options were being tried in a large-scale study across multiple countries. Currently, about 15% of COVID-19 patients need to be treated in a hospital or similar setting and some facilities and staff are being swamped. Science reported,

The World Health Organization (WHO) announced a large global trial, called SOLIDARITY, to find out whether any can treat infections with the new coronavirus for the dangerous respiratory disease. It’s an unprecedented effort—an all-out, coordinated push to collect robust scientific data rapidly during a pandemic. The study, which could include many thousands of patients in dozens of countries, has been designed to be as simple as possible so that even hospitals overwhelmed by an onslaught of COVID-19 patients can participate.1

What is remarkable is that so much political red tape was surmounted so quickly. In fact, this trial has a similar European counterpart, called Discovery, that will include patients from France, Spain, the United Kingdom, Germany, and the Benelux countries. These trials aim to discover as quickly as possible what does and does not work. They are using existing drugs with a familiar track record for safety and efficacy against other viral diseases bearing some similarities to COVID-19.

The drugs being tried include the following: the anti-malarial drugs chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine, the antiviral drug remdesivir, a ritonavir/lopinavir combination, and ritonavir/lopinavir in conjunction with interferon-beta (a molecule involved in regulating immune responses in the body).

No timeline was reported as to when results would be forthcoming. But, it is possible that some initial findings might even give indications of efficacy. These will likely be shared with the medical community and the public at large.

Getting so many politicians, bureaucrats, and clinicians to align for a common purpose so quickly could elicit the exclamation, “That’s a miracle!” Perhaps these clinical trials are an answer to prayer, since “The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes.”2

References
1. Kupferschmidt, K. and J. Cohen. 2020. WHO launches global megatrial of the four most promising coronavirus treatments. Science. Posted on sciencemag.org March 22, 2020, accessed March 25, 2020.
2. Proverbs 21:1.

*Randy Guliuzza is ICR’s National Representative. He earned his Doctor of Medicine from the University of Minnesota, his Master of Public Health from Harvard University, and served in the U.S. Air Force as 28th Bomb Wing Flight Surgeon and Chief of Aerospace Medicine. Dr. Guliuzza is also a registered Professional Engineer.
The Latest
NEWS
The Origin of Metabolism
Metabolism is the totality of chemical reactions that manage all of the molecular, material, and energy resources within an organism. Part of a creature’s...

NEWS
Bumblebee University
Entomologists, biologists who study insects, continue to uncover amazing discoveries regarding the intellect of bees1,2 Now, biologists...

CREATION.LIVE PODCAST
Struck: Risking It All for the Truth | Creation.Live Podcast:...
In this unique episode, host Trey talks with three key people involved in creating Struck—an upcoming miniseries that shows the special ties between...

NEWS
Giant Ants Buried in Receding Flood Rocks
Evolutionary scientists are baffled by a large ant fossil found in British Columbia, Canada. Known as Titanomyrma, this same ant had been found previously...

CREATION PODCAST
Why Do Animals Hibernate? | The Creation Podcast: Episode 45
The word hibernation is often used in reference to deep sleep, but what is it really? What kinds of creatures hibernate? How does this demonstrate the...

NEWS
Thalattosuchians—Extinct Crocodile Relatives?
The Thalattosuchia are an extinct group of marine crocodylomorphs (a group that includes the crocodiles) that allegedly transitioned from land to water...

NEWS
The Star-Nosed Mole
The star-nosed mole (Condylura cristata) is a fascinating semi-aquatic mammal found in eastern Canada and the United States. Moles (placental mammals)...

NEWS
The Hexagon: An Indication of Order and Design in Nature
In nature, noncoincidental patterns and geometry exist everywhere. But the number six appears to overshadow nature’s mathematical landscape. Whether...

NEWS
Neanderthal Crab Bake
The evolutionary science community said it perfectly in their headlines: “Proof that Neanderthals ate crabs is another 'nail in the coffin'...

CREATION PODCAST
Is There Any Truth to Dragon Legends? | The Creation Podcast:...
Dragons are considered by many to be made-up creatures in fairytales and legends, but our ancestors produced many descriptions and depictions of "dragons,"...