Despite News, Possible Coronavirus Drugs Still in Test Phase
You’re probably hearing a lot about different drugs that are being used to treat coronavirus. For example, choloroquine and its brand-named cousin Plaquenil were recently in the news.
While you may see these drugs and others on TV or in your Facbook feed, it’s important to remember that doctors and researchers are just testing the drugs. They’re not yet proven to be effective. In fact, the Food and Drug Administration hasn’t approved a drug to treat COVID-19 — just medications to test.
Indeed, doctors are still scrambling to find an effective treatment for the disease, and while some drugs have shown promise, others have had no effect at all.
That hasn’t stopped worried patients from calling their doctors and asking for prescriptions. Unfortunately, just like panic buys of surgical masks, trying to get a prescription for a drug that hasn’t been shown to be effective against coronavirus causes more harm than good. It can cause shortages and take the experimental medication away from someone who is in a life-threatening situation.
If a drug is found that’s effective, your MDVIP-affiliated physician will be one of the first to know. For now, know that the medical community is working hard to find effective treatment and ultimately a vaccine for this new virus.
If you’ve been exposed to coronavirus or have symptoms consistent with it (dry cough, fatigue, fever above 100.4 degrees, shortness of breath) get in touch with your MDVIP-affiliated doctor. They can help direct you to where you can be tested. If you have other medical issues, your MDVIP-affiliated doctor wants to hear from you. Just call the office before you go in, as you would normally. Some procedures may have changed.
Dr. Andrea Klemes is the Chief Medical Officer of MDVIP. She also serves as the executive and organizational leader of MDVIP’s Medical Advisory Board that supports quality and innovation in the delivery of the healthcare model drawing expertise from the affiliated physicians. Dr. Klemes oversees MDVIP’s impressive outcomes data and research including hospital utilization and readmission statistics, quality of disease management in the MDVIP network and the ability to identify high-risk patients and intervene early. She is instrumental in the adoption of the Electronic Health Record use in MDVIP-affiliated practices and the creation of the data warehouse. Dr. Klemes is board certified in internal medicine and endocrinology and a fellow of the American College of Endocrinology. Dr. Klemes received her medical degree from the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine. She completed an internal medicine residency at Cabrini Medical Center in Manhattan, New York and an Endocrine and Metabolism Fellowship at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta. Prior to joining MDVIP, Dr. Klemes worked at Procter & Gamble in the areas of personal healthcare, women’s health and digestive wellness and served as North American Medical Director for bone health. She spent 10 years in private practice specializing in endocrinology and metabolism in Tallahassee, Florida. In addition, Dr. Klemes held leadership roles with the American Medical Association, Florida Medical Association and as Medical Director of the Diabetes Center in Tallahassee and Panama City, Florida, as well as Chief of the Department of Medicine at Tallahassee Community Hospital. She has been a consultant and frequent lecturer and has completed broad clinical research in diabetes and osteoporosis and published extensively.
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