VIRUS HOPE: BIG TEST OF DRUGS ON AUSTRALIAN PATIENTS

There are now three Australian trials of treatments for the coronavirus. One will start on Monday, and eventually involve  2400 people sick enough to go to hospital. They will get either hydroxychloroquine, an HIV drug or a placebo to see what works. I talked to the Peter Doherty Institute boss, Professor Sharon Lewin. Hopes are high.

There are now three Australian trials of treatments for the CIVID-19 coronavirus. One will start on Monday, and eventually involve 2400 people sick enough to go to hospital. They will get either hydroxychloroquine, an HIV drug or a placebo to see what works. 

I understand there's a better than 50-50 chance that this will make a real difference to the length and severity of the illness. Some indications of success could take no more than a few weeks.

I talked to the Peter Doherty Institute boss, Professor Sharon Lewin, who explains:

 It's aimed at stopping the virus in it's tracks so that people don't die or need to go to intensive care.

Another trial, this time testing if hydroxychloroquine can actually protect medical workers from getting the virus in the first place, will start in two or three weeks. The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute will run that one, testing the drug and a placebo on 2200. I talked to the Institute's head, Professor Doug Hilton:

The third trial is by the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute. This will test an anti-tuberculosis drug, BCG , to see if it works as a vaccine against COVID-19. This will be the largest,involving 4000 healthcare workers around Australia.