Stroke drug may help Covid-19 patients avoid ventilators

consumer.healthday.com

18 pointsdefined4 comments

> Patients in respiratory failure develop blood clots in the lungs and tiny blockages in the lung's blood vessels. These tiny clots keep blood from reaching air spaces in the lungs, and that's where blood normally receives oxygen from the lungs.

This video gives what I thought was a good overview of how this comes about in this and similar diseases should they develop advanced respiratory failure symptoms

https://youtu.be/PWzbArPgo-o

Thanks very informative video

Repurposing existing drugs that have already passed safety assessments makes so much sense I was surprised the expert quoted even had to say it. Is this not standard procedure for research in normal times, and priority in a health emergency?

Yes of course it's standard procedure (it's not like there are many other options - "invent some fundamental new science to cure it within the next couple months to years to stop the pandemic" is not super feasible- even if we did sort of pull it off once on HIV). the article seems to be written for laypersom audience where you wouldn't expect to take that for granted.

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