U.S. is Now Testing Two Drugs to Treat the Coronavirus

The United States is now testing two drugs to treat coronavirus treatments.

Reuters reported scientists at the University of Minnesota are testing two drugs. Hydroxychloroquine and blood pressure drug losartan are being treated to see if either drug is effective in blocking the virus’s reproductive processes.

“We are trying to leverage the science to see if we can do something in addition to minimizing contacts,” Dr. Jakub Tolar, dean of the University of Minnesota’s medical school, told Reuters. “Results are likely in weeks, not months.”

Tolar added the drugs are relatively inexpensive to buy as they are generic replacements for branded prescription drugs. “We don’t need a multibillion-dollar investment. It is part of the beauty of this approach,” Tolar said.

Losartan is an enzyme receptor and could prevent the virus from attaching to host cells in the victim’s body and possibly preventing future infections. Hydroxychloroquine is used to treat malaria around the world and could suppress the proteins that cause fatal inflammation in those affected by the disease, Reuters reports.

At this time, a 1,500 patient trial started testing hydroxychloroquine, and two experiments testing the use of losartan are ongoing.

In related news, researchers find people with Blood Type A are more vulnerable to COVID-19. A new study in China revealed people with blood type A are more susceptible to the coronavirus in comparison to other blood groups.

Researchers took blood group patterns of over 2,000 patients infected with COVID-19 in Wuhan and Shenzhen and compared it with people from other regions. The study concluded people with blood type A were more vulnerable to COVID-19 infection and higher chances to develop more severe symptoms.