Scientists from the University of Oxford are starting a first-of-its-kind study to see whether available drugs can help keep older, more vulnerable people with mild cases of Covid-19 from becoming severely ill.
More than 500 U.K. doctors’ offices are recruiting for the trial of drugs that are already approved for other purposes, such as the antimalarial hydroxychloroquine and antibiotics that are normally used against bacterial infections.
Participants must be older than 65 or aged 50 to 64 with chronic illnesses such as diabetes or asthma. Researchers have launched more than 100 different programs globally to develop and test treatments for coronavirus as countries seek ways to quell the pandemic and safely exit lockdowns.