China announces that it has found two drugs effective against the coronavirus. However, the WHO dismantles it: "there are no treatments against 2019-nCoV"
Don't store avocado like this: it's dangerousChina announces that it has found two drugs that can effectively inhibit the coronavirus. So the cure would be near? The WHO does not think so, which instead states that, at the moment, there are no effective treatments against this virus.
Li Lanjuan, one of China's best-known epidemiologists and her team from Zhejiang University are working in Wuhan, Hubei province, central China, to try and stop the coronavirus outbreak.
Li Lanjuan herself announced an important step forward on Chinese TV CGTN. According to what has been stated, preliminary tests have shown that two antiretroviral drugs, Abidol and Darunavir, would be able to inhibit replication of the 2019-ncov virus, at least in in vitro experiments on cells.
Arbidol, commonly known as Umifenovir, is a powerful antiviral used to treat and prevent influenza, while Darunavir is used to treat and prevent HIV / AIDS.
By using these two drugs, the expert hopes to improve the emergency treatment of already infected patients. The professor said that the anti-HIV drug Kelizhi, currently in use for the treatment of the coronavirus, is not very effective and has side effects.
She recommended including the two new drugs in the new treatment program pneumonia caused by the coronavirus at Chinese hospitals.
Chen Zuobing, another scientist on the team, said the two drugs have been used to treat patients infected with the virus in Zhejiang Province and will replace other drugs with lower efficacy. But he also reminded them that they shouldn't be hired without medical assistance.
So found the cure to stop the coronavirus? Not according to the World Health Organization (WHO) which has definitely downplayed the news coming from China.
So commented the WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic to Reuters:
"There are no known effective therapies against this 2019-nCoV (virus) and WHO recommends enrollment in a randomized controlled trial to test efficacy and safety."
The development process and testing of drugs or vaccines against a new pathogen normally takes many years and often has to overcome a series of pitfalls and failures. Even at the accelerated pace made possible by new technologies, the best scientists can hope for is finding a new coronavirus vaccine by June of this year.
Doctors, looking for ways to treat patients infected with the new coronavirus, are likely to try antiviral drugs already licensed in other cases to see if they could help, as well as potential antiviral drugs still in development. From here to flag to the 4 winds that a cure has been found, in short, we pass it!
Sources of reference: CGTN / SCMP / Reuters
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