Establish A National Real-World Decentralized COVID-19 Program Targeting Ivermectin, Fluvoxamine, Colchicine, Famotidine & Nitazoxanide

Two prominent researchers affiliated with Emory University, including a Professor of Medicine and Dean of the School of Medicine and Chief Academic Officer of this preeminent university, remind readers recently in Health Affairs that although COVID-19 cases are now on the decline, 3,000 Americans die every day while more contagious and possibly dangerous mutant strains circulate around North America now, again keeping health systems on the precipice. While the authors express overall confidence in the global drug and vaccine development imperative, they warn that mass vaccination impact won’t evidence palpable positive results until at least mid-2021. Moreover, they are mindful that these vaccines are still experimental (under emergency authorization) and many outstanding questions remain unanswered—such as how long they are impactful. Vikas Sukhatme and Vidula Sukhatme boldly declare more must be done, and now. That is, a plan to potentially save up to 150,000 lives over the next few months. Listen to their proposal—use repurposed drugs in a national decentralized real-world program, while monitoring the ongoing real world data. Only an easy to administer, affordable, scalable, and of course safe and efficacious therapy can work. Yet multiple drugs can possibly serve this interim strategy, suggest the academic researchers. With established safety records and evidence of treatment in the hundreds of millions, the risk profile is low, and off-label treatment should be considered—now. These drugs include ivermectin, fluvoxamine, colchicine, famotidine and nitazoxanide in conjunction with monoclonal antibodies for higher risk patients and of course ongoing vaccination efforts. The authors posit such an approach could markedly lower the number of patients necessitating hospitalization in the short run.