Medications Role in the Severity of Coronavirus
We at MD 2.0 just wanted to touch base and let you know we are staying on top and trying to make sense of all the confusing information coming your way.
There has been a lot of speculation about the family of medications called ACE* Inhibitors and ARB’s** and their role in the severity of Coronavirus. While some studies have shown that the use of these medications might actually worsen the severity of the disease, others recently have shown exactly the opposite – they can actually reduce the severity. This leaves the theory unclear. What we do know, for sure, is if those medications are stopped suddenly then the risk of cardiovascular disease, and potentially death go up. For now, the recommendations are to stay on your medications at the dosing prescribed.
Also, we have heard information circulating about the use of hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin in the treatment of severe Coronavirus. The jury is still out, and a recent small study actually indicated that there was no difference in the outcome. We still do not have enough information to recommend these drugs routinely, especially since they could potentially have severe if not lethal side effects when used together. We think right now we need to focus on prevention, via social isolation and safe hygiene practices so we never get to a situation where we even need to consider the use of these drugs.
What is very important, and getting more attention, is maintaining our mental health through this ordeal. Please make sure to eat right, drink plenty of water, get exercise, get plenty of sleep and avoid reading or watching the news around the clock.