Is there a treatment for SARS-CoV-2?

Abstract

Introduction: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic of 2019 represents the third significant infection from a corona virus during the last two decades; this time producing a pandemic with more than a million deaths due to the immune InflammoThrombotic Response (ITR) to the virus. This investigation studied 10 different treatments and 52 treatment combinations to determine if there is an effective treatment regimen for SARS-CoV-2. Methods: 1800 people testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 from 23 sites in 7 countries were studied including outpatient and inpatient care and treatment. Outpatients were either treated with an aminoquinoline or followed without specific treatment. Hospitalized patients were divided into two Phases of the study comparing 10 treatments and 52 treatment combinations using quantitative nuclear imaging (FMTVDM), Ferritin and IL-6 to measure the severity of the infection and resulting ITR in addition to measured treatment response. Phase I looked at treatment outcomes as drug treatments were added sequentially. Phase II looked at combination treatments focusing on treating the immune ITR to SARS-CoV-2. ANOVA was used to determine the effect of each Treatment and Treatment combinations on Treatment outcomes including intubation, extubation, deaths and time to discharge. Results: Of the 1800 patients seeking medical care, 847 received no outpatient treatment with 59.5 % recovering and 40.5 % requiring hospitalization. Of the 953 treated with an aminoquinoline in the outpatient setting, 16.6 % required further treatment and hospitalization. Five hundred and one people required admission representing a 27.8 % failure to respond to outpatient management. Three hundred and forty patients entered Phase I and received sequentially added medical Treatment(s) until the patient demonstrated treatment success or expired. Of the 340 in Phase I who failed outpatient aminoquinoline treatment, 89.7 % responded to initiation of treatment with Tocilizumab, Interferon α-2β, or Methylprednisolone. Combining patients who received outpatient aminoquinoline treatment with those who received no outpatient treatment, 74.5 % of the patients admitted to Phase I responded to Interferon α-2β. This number increased to 90 % among patients who received outpatient aminoquinoline treatment. During Phase II of the study patients receiving combination treatments consisting of one of three regimens focusing on treating the immune ITR to SARS-CoV-2 responded 99.83 % of the time. These three ITR regimens consisted of (1) Tocilizumab & Interferon α-2β, (2) Primaquine, Clindamycin, Tocilizumab & Interferon α-2β, and (3) Methylprednisolone. These three ITR treatments regimens demonstrated a statistically significant (p < 0.0001) treatment effect and were associated with a significant reduction in intubation with earlier hospital discharge (p < 0.0001). Conclusion: The answer to the question is, Yes. The treatment of SARS-CoV-2, like HIV, requires a multi-drug treatment regimen focusing on the immune ITR to SARS-CoV-2. The three successful treatment regimens include (1) Tocilizumab & Interferon α-2β, (2) Primaquine, Clindamycin, Tocilizumab & Interferon α-2β, and (3) Methylprednisolone. These three regimens were effective 99.83 % of the time and shortened hospital stays from 40 + 3 days to 1-2 weeks.