Is a combination of antimalarial drugs and antibiotics effective against COVID-19? Researchers cannot yet provide a definite answer, but research is underway. In the Forskningsfortællinger podcast (in Danish), we dive into a research project that investigates whether a combination of antimalarial drugs and antibiotics can protect the lungs of people with COVID-19 – and who might benefit in certain circumstances.
In early summer, the antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine came into focus when a non-controlled observational study reported serious side effects. This study was given such weight that authorities worldwide suspended the randomized controlled trials with hydroxychloroquine, including a Danish trial led by Jens-Ulrik Stæhr Jensen, chief physician in pulmonary medicine at Herlev-Gentofte Hospital.
However, it later turned out that the much-discussed observational study had questionable data quality and had used high doses of the drug. As a result, the study was retracted by the authors and the journal The Lancet. This paved the way for Jens-Ulrik Stæhr Jensen to resume his trial.
“Our hope is that hydroxychloroquine, in the normal doses we administer, will inhibit the virus’s ability to replicate and its ability to enter the cells deep in the lungs. That’s one of the effects we are aiming for. The other effect is that azithromycin should dampen the overly aggressive immune response, so the lungs are not damaged by the body’s own immune system,” explains Jens-Ulrik Stæhr Jensen about the research project.
In the podcast, Jens-Ulrik Stæhr Jensen talks more about the project and the chaotic course of events surrounding its temporary suspension. You can also read about it in this article.
The podcast also features Anne Brandt, CEO of the Danish Lung Association, who shares how being in the COVID-19 risk group affects the association’s members. You’ll also hear about the association’s somewhat alternative approach to reducing COVID-19 transmission and promoting good hygiene practices among young people.
