- Scientists from the University of Minnesota are testing the blood pressure drug losartan to see if it can prevent COVID-19 infection or reduce symptoms.
- The drug, which is a widely-available generic medication, may help by blocking a site on cells that is used by the virus.
- Doctors are also testing the malaria medication hydroxychloroquine to see if it can help stem the tide of the pandemic.
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A generic blood pressure medication may ultimately help doctors fight back against the spread of the novel coronavirus and COVID-19, the disease that results from an infection. As Reuters reports, scientists at the University of Minnesota are attempting to determine whether the drug can prevent the virus from causing severe symptoms and perhaps even prevent the rapid multiplication of the virus within the body.
Losartan, also sold under the brand name Cozaar, blocks a specific receptor on cells that the virus may exploit. Preventing the virus from binding to cells could dramatically alter the recovery time of a patient with the virus or even curb the spread of the pandemic as a whole. First, however, we need to know that it works.
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A drug called losartan might help us beat coronavirus originally appeared on BGR.com on Thu, 19 Mar 2020 at 15:27:23 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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