Dr. Ana Prior Mier y Terán
The SARS-CoV-2 virus is a member of the coronavirus family, which causes COVID-19, a disease that has been classified as a pandemic by the World Health Organization and has caused a large number of deaths in the last 4 months, so researchers around the world are looking for a cure without having achieved it yet.
The symptoms of COVID-19 are very similar to the common cold, the most frequent are: cough, fever and in some cases difficulty breathing. Only 20% of infected people will present complications that require hospitalization and around 6% will have a tragic outcome. The seriousness of this disease lies in its high degree of spread, since it is a new virus that makes the entire population vulnerable to contagion in a short period of time and for which there are still no vaccines or approved treatments.
Currently there are more than 1.5 million people infected by COVID-19 worldwide with almost 100 thousand deaths, for which hospitals, research centers and the pharmaceutical industry have focused all their efforts on the search for a cure, with more than 80 trials. clinical trials taking place around the world, using around 20 known drugs.
It is important to mention that the development of a new medicine can take more than 20 years, from the discovery of the molecule to its commercialization. However, due to the health emergency caused by the pandemic, it has been necessary to generate a strategy that allows these times to be shortened as much as possible, which is why all the pharmacological research that is being carried out at this time is aimed at repositioning medicines that have already been authorized. for other diseases. In other words, the clinical protocols that are executed use molecules whose mechanism of action and safety profile is known, but it is still necessary to prove their effectiveness in patients with COVID-19 and establish an adequate treatment scheme.
In Mexico, COFEPRIS authorized three phase III clinical protocols since last April 1, in order to find an effective treatment for COVID19:
- Two protocols are carried out at the Ismael Cosío Villegas National Institute of Respiratory Diseases (INER). They use hydroxychloroquine, a drug that is indicated for malaria, rheumatoid arthritis, and lupus. This medicine is considered an immunomodulator, that is, it helps to activate, reinforce or restore the patient’s immune response. Furthermore, in preclinical studies, it has been reported that there is a probable inhibitory effect on cell infection.
- The third authorized protocol is to investigate the use of remdesivir in hospitalized patients who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 and is jointly developed by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) of the United States. United States and the Salvador Zubirán National Institute of Medical Sciences and Nutrition. This drug is a nucleotide analog type antiviral with activity against various RNA viruses such as MERS and SARS, in addition to having been tested against Ebola.
Despite the efforts and having the best specialists worldwide, in Mexico there is still no approved treatment for COVID19. Therefore, it is necessary to follow the recommendations of the SUSANA DISTANCIA campaign and stay informed through official channels. If you have any symptoms you can call the telephone contact centers and only in case of difficulty breathing and persistent fever, go to a nearest COVID center or hospital.
It is very important not to self-medicate or panic buy drugs, as it can have health consequences that are currently unknown; in addition to generating a shortage that affects patients whose diseases are indicated in the use of said medications and who cannot suspend their treatment. We are in a historic moment to practice that solidarity that characterizes us as Mexicans.
Do not leave home.
