Study Shows Old Med Helps with COVID

An observational study conducted by The Baker Clinic shows an old drug that you may have somewhere in your medicine cabinet is a “safe, effective, and inexpensive treatment for mild to critical illness” from SARS-CoV-2. The director of the study told Liberty Nation that she plans to continue her research, and for good reason.

SARS-CoV-2 is the virus that causes the COVID-19 disease in humans. The research conducted by Vina S. Baker, MD, looked at whether the anti-viral Acyclovir is an “effective, safe, inexpensive” oral treatment for those diagnosed with the virus. Acyclovir, commonly known by its brand name Zovirax and its sister drug Valacyclovir, brand name Valtrex, are most often prescribed for people with Herpes Simplex 1 and 2. These maladies include cold sores (HSV-1) and genital herpes (HSV-2). There are subtle differences between the two pharmaceuticals which aren’t worth going into for the lay reader, but for the sake of clarity, this study was conducted using Acyclovir.

A Pervasive Infection

The World Health Organization estimates 3.7 billion people under the age of 50 carry the HSV-1 infection. Another 491 million people between the ages of 15-49 are HSV-2 carriers (WHO May 2020). The condition with the number 1 behind it is generally transmitted by oral contact; the disease designated by the number 2 is sexually transmitted. To say that these are widespread infections is an understatement, which is why Acyclovir and Valacyclovir are so often prescribed.

Acyclovir has been around for a long time. According to the study, it was developed in 1974 and approved by the FDA as an anti-viral in 1982, and is the “primary treatment for herpes virus infections from newborns to the elderly.”

Dr. Baker looked at 65 people in the U.S. who were diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2. Sixty-three of them recovered, and two were lost; one died from multiple inpatient complications, while the other “was lost to follow up care.” The results demonstrated, “Initiation of acyclovir and adjunctive treatment as early as possible provided the best outcome in minimizing clinical symptoms and disease burden related to SARS-CoV-2 in patients ranging from asymptomatic to critical illness.”

In the clinical phase of the study, Baker started the COVID patients on Acyclovir “as early as possible,” which ranged from “the day of [the] initial visit or within 48 hours of exposure,” with most of her patients. Naturally, there were adjunct medications like bronchodilators and oxygen therapy, which would be customary for COVID patients.

Remarkably, 39 people recovered within 30 days and another 23 within 90 days. And here’s the kicker: “89% of patients were unvaccinated.” In concluding the study, Dr. Baker reports:

“Somehow, this virus is proving to be more creative than our treatment efforts as new variants emerge. Initiation of Acyclovir with adjunct treatment at [the] time of diagnosis or within 48 hours of exposure provides a safe, effective, and inexpensive treatment for mild to critical illness in reaching recovery from SARS-CoV-2 infection and avoiding hospitalization.”

It's worth mentioning that there are two ways anti-viral medications can be administered. One is through an intravenous (IV) infusion and the other is by taking a pill. Acyclovir comes in pill form. Britain approved the first anti-viral pill – molnupiravir also known as Lagevrio – for use in patients suffering from COVID-19; the treatment is still only available in the U.K. However, this research by The Baker Clinic demonstrates a need to keep looking for other medicines already approved by the FDA that could prove useful for people suffering from this highly contagious and often deadly disease.

To read the complete Baker Clinic study click here.

~ Read more from Leesa K. Donner.