'We've learned the lessons': how New York doctors treat COVID-19 and improve medical protocols

When the new coronavirus began to rage in New York, doctors on the fly had to learn how to treat a previously unknown disease. Since then, they are accustomed to constantly compare their records for each patient and make adjustments as new data arise. They failed to achieve breakthroughs in treatment, but they have learned and are now providing assistance much more effectively, writes NY1.

“We now know how to deal with this. I don’t mean to say that I have made big mistakes in the past, ”said Dr. Thomas McGinn, deputy chief physician at Northwell Health. - I just think that now we are used to it. We have protocols. We've dealt with drugs. ”

In the search for treatment options, doctors found that if patients simply flipped onto their stomachs, it could improve oxygen flow to the lungs. This discovery is the result of attempts to avoid the need for patients to be connected to mechanical ventilation devices. In addition, doctors have increased the use of blood thinners after detecting widespread blood coagulation in patients with COVID-19.

“We are currently conducting a randomized trial looking at different doses and uses of blood thinners,” McGinn said. "And we believe that this is a key element in saving people."

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Doctors have also tested the effectiveness of many medications that could help fight the virus or control the body’s immune response. One of the proven drugs is Hydroxychloroquine, an antimalarial medicine advertised by President Donald Trump. But hospitals are now abandoning its use, since more effective drugs have been found.

However, there is no clarity at the moment, and the effect of many drugs is still being tested. Even the promising and FDA-approved Remdesivir drug shortens the length of hospital stay, but does not necessarily change the outcome of the disease.

“Is it possible that these drugs will allow some patients to survive who would otherwise die? I would answer: yes, probably, - noted one of the doctors. - But this must be proven by the results of tests that are just being carried out.

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Some New York hospitals are also experimenting with new treatments, such as transfusion of patients with severe COVID-19 blood plasma from convalescent people who have developed immunity. Some institutions are also testing new stem cell therapy.

Any patient with COVID-19 who is about to arrive at the hospital will find far fewer people and seriously ill patients there than a month ago. And this means that the efforts of doctors give effective.

The most promising option

On May 1, the US Department of Drug and Food Quality Control (FDA) approved the emergency use of the experimental drug Remdesivir in the treatment of patients infected with coronavirus.

A federal study showed that treatment with Remdesivir could speed up the recovery of patients with COVID-19. The FDA decision expands access to the drug by allowing any doctor to prescribe it to their patients with coronavirus infection.

But this does not mean that the drug is recommended for all hospitalized patients. Clinical trials are still ongoing to determine which patients will benefit most from Remdesivir treatment.

Emergency approvals are not the same as official agency approvals. When the federal government announces a public health emergency, the FDA can approve medicines to deal with the emergency if there is no alternative.

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The study involved 1 patients. Some of them were given Remdesivir, and some were given a placebo. Recovery time averaged 063 days for those who received the drug, compared with 11 days for those who received the placebo.

However, the FDA warned in its newsletter that the drug is still experimental.

“There is no FDA approved drug for the treatment of COVID-19 yet. Taking Remdesivir may benefit certain hospitalized patients with COVID-19, ”the ministry said in a statement.

The document also warns that people with certain diseases or conditions should inform their doctor about them before taking the drug. The list of these conditions includes allergies, problems with the kidneys or liver, pregnancy or breastfeeding, any serious illness, taking other medications, vitamins or dietary supplements.

Adverse reactions to Remdesivir include lowering blood pressure, nausea, vomiting, sweating, and trembling.