UNMH to test drugs to treat COVID-19

by: KRQE MEDIA

Posted: Mar 30, 2020 / 10:06 PM MDT / Updated: Mar 31, 2020 / 08:30 AM MDT

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – The University of New Mexico Hospital will start testing drugs this week on local COVID-19 patients.

“There had been some data on a very small number of patients that, in other countries indicated these different drugs might be effective,” said Dr. Richard Larson.

UNM Health Sciences put together two clinical trials of potential drugs to treat coronavirus patients who are hospitalized with the hope the drugs could potentially reduce the number of deaths. UNMH patients who have tested positive for the virus and have pneumonia symptoms may be offered treatment with Remdesivir.

Local patients who test positive but do not have pneumonia may be treated with a combination of hydroxychloroquine and an antibiotic.

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