A new treatment for COVID-19 is in clinical trials

THIS IS A LOOK AT NEW MEXICO’S COVID CASES THIS PAST WEEK. WE SAW THE BIGGEST SPIKE ON THURSDAY, AND THEY STAYED OVER 600 MOST OF THE WEEK. MEANWHILE, HOSPITALIZATIONS GREW BETWEEN MONDAY AND THURSY,DA REACHING 388. THE FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS CONTINUES, AND DOCTORS ARE ON ANSWERS. ACTION 7 NS REEWPORTER ANGEL SALCEDO HAS THE STORY ON AEW N COVID TREATMENT IN THE WOR.KS ANGEL: KALYN, THE TRIALS ARE ACTUALLY BEING RUN OUT OF SANTA FE BY DR. LINDA GORGOS, AND HERE’S THE IDEA BEHIND IT. THIS IS A POST-EXPOSURE TREATMENT. WHAT THAT MEANS IS IF SOMEONE IN YOUR IMMEDIATE CONTACT TESTS POSITIVE FOR THE VIRUS, YOU WOULD TAKE THIS DRUG CALLED MOLNUPIRAVIR FOR 5 DAYS FOLLOWING EXPOSURE. IT’S DESIGN TEDO STOP THE VIRUS FROM MULTIPLYING AND PRENTVE HOSPITALIZATIONS AFTER EXPOSURE. >> THE IDEA IS YOU TRY TO SHUT THE INFECTION DOWN EARLY, BEFORE IT CAN EVEN SET ITSELF UP ORF I IN THE OFF CHANCE YOU’VE ALREADY GOTTEN INFECTED, BUT MAY NOT BE SICKET Y, TO TRY TO MAKE IT A MILDER ILLNESS. IT’S REALLY AN EXCITING OPTION TO HAVE TO OFFER PEOEPL SOMETHING AS PREVENTION, BECAUSE WE REALLY HAVEN’T HAD THAT BEFORE OUTDESI OF VACCINATN.IO ANGEL: THE TREATMENT IS TARGETED TO HELP PEOPLE WHO EAR UNVACCINATED. DR. GORGOS ALSO TELLS ME THIS IS NOT NEW. IT HAS BEEN USED TO TREAT OTHER VIRUSES LIKE INFLUENZA IN PAST. ITRUSES LIKE INFLUENZA IN PAST. ' ’S DESIGNED TO GIVE YOU SIMILAR PROTECTION TO VAA CCINE, INSTEAD AAS REACTIVE MEASURE. I’M LIVE IN ALBUQUERQUE, ANGEL SALCEDO, KOAT ACTION 7

A new treatment for COVID-19 is in the works.Dr. Linda Gorgos, of Santa Fe, New Mexico, is heading the trial for the experimental antiviral drug called Molnupiravir. She says the medication shuts the virus down so that it cannot replicate or make copies of itself. "The idea is that you try to shut the infection down early, before it can even set itself up or if in the off chance that you have already gotten infected, it will make the illness milder," Dr. Gorgos said. "It is really an exciting option to have to offer people something as prevention because we haven't had that before outside of vaccination." It's an oral pill, so you won't have to receive an injection. In fact, its primary use is for people who don't have the COVID-19 vaccine. "We know that people who are already vaccinated have that level of protection against getting sick with COVID-19 and getting infected," Dr. Gorgos said. So how often do you have to take the treatment for it to be effective? Dr. Gorgos said participants in the trial will take the medication orally for four or five days to test the effects.She says the trial is already in advanced stages, "COVID prevention is really exciting for us, and we're excited to have the opportunity to bring that science to New Mexico."The clinical trial is currently only accepting people 18 and older. You must be in a household of 10 people or less to be eligible.Watch the video above for more on this story.

A new treatment for COVID-19 is in the works.

Dr. Linda Gorgos, of Santa Fe, New Mexico, is heading the trial for the experimental antiviral drug called Molnupiravir. She says the medication shuts the virus down so that it cannot replicate or make copies of itself.

"The idea is that you try to shut the infection down early, before it can even set itself up or if in the off chance that you have already gotten infected, it will make the illness milder," Dr. Gorgos said. "It is really an exciting option to have to offer people something as prevention because we haven't had that before outside of vaccination."

It's an oral pill, so you won't have to receive an injection. In fact, its primary use is for people who don't have the COVID-19 vaccine.

"We know that people who are already vaccinated have that level of protection against getting sick with COVID-19 and getting infected," Dr. Gorgos said.

So how often do you have to take the treatment for it to be effective? Dr. Gorgos said participants in the trial will take the medication orally for four or five days to test the effects.

She says the trial is already in advanced stages, "COVID prevention is really exciting for us, and we're excited to have the opportunity to bring that science to New Mexico."

The clinical trial is currently only accepting people 18 and older. You must be in a household of 10 people or less to be eligible.

Watch the video above for more on this story.

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