What Works for this Coronavirus

First things first is not a matter of what you believe. It is a matter of science. It is a matter of what can be proven. It is not a matter of how you feel about something. It is a matter of the objective evidence.

Before we can talk about what works and doesn’t work for this illness Coronavirus we must define what is and isn’t true. Let’s talk science.

In medical clinical science we always use studies that we call double blinded. That is a study where neither the participant in the study who is being tested nor the people doing the test
know the difference between the medicine being tested or the placebo or sugar pill.

A random group of participants as well and a random group of testers are given at least two samples. One sample is a known proven medication and the other is a placebo. Neither group knows which is which.

That is called a double blind test. Neither the person being tested or the one doing the test knows what is being injected with a needle ingested by mouth or applied to the skin.

This is different from anecdotal results. Anecdotal results are very common. A medicine is given to people who expect a response or result. They expect that response based upon what they have read and what the person providing the medication has told them to expect. The problem with anecdotal results is These cannot be controlled for outcomes.

They are biased by the input of the provider of the medication and the recipient. The desired outcome may actually be real but it is impossible to determine the reality because there is no baseline. Snake oil, rabbits foot and tiger’s teeth and eye of newt are examples of treatments that have anecdotal good results.

I feel better because you told me I would and my friend said it would work. Anecdotal results.

Given the rush to find a cure or treatment or even preventative measure all kinds of theories rumors and traditional cures are coming to the forefront.

I want to caution you that you must avoid any study that has not gone through this rigorous proof of a double blinded study.

Your friends, family members and of course news hosts and politicians will give you a variety of treatments and cures that have not been verified by this rigorous double blinded testing. Anecdoctal results are being hurriedly pushed to the front by seasoned politicians and television broadcasters. Even the FDA has been forced to promote studies they don’t support.

One of the most prominent is the rush to use anti malarial medicines. Another on the horizon is anti tuberculosis medicine. Vitamin C, even Viagra. They haven’t pushed eye of newt yet.

I repeat, none of these have been through controlled clinical trials. The best way is prevention. It has been said numerous times before prevention is better than cure.

Stay-at-home unless it is absolutely essential to go out. If you go out wear some kind of protective facial gear over your mouth preferably a surgical mask or N95 mask. Frequently wash your hands. Frequently wash the surfaces that you touch with soap and water or a disinfectant wash the Items, that you purchase with soap and water or disinfectant and the fruits and vegetables should be immersed in water and cleansed thoroughly.

Social distancing is the new norm. Get tested if you are at risk. Those at risk are health care providers and the people they care for.

For now there is no treatment for the Corona virus only for the complications it causes. The complications are respiratory failure. Tylenol, Ibuprofen, and similar medications are the only treatments.

Keep in touch with your doctor and other health care providers.

Call me; Dr. Michael Johnson at 215-644-8745 if you can’t get answers.

Please avoid the Rumors. Don’t Chase after miracle cures. Avoid sending out links to conspiracy theories about Radiation from cell phones and Chinese conspiracy theories. All of these things do more to promote the spread of disease.

Be knowledgeable.

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge:
Hosea 4:6 KJV

Other reliable sources of knowledge.

CDC Centers for Disease Control
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

NIH National Institute of Health
https://www.nih.gov/health-information/coronavirus#!/detail/403327

WHO World Health Organization
https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/q-a-coronaviruses

NMA National Medical Association
https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/q-a-coronaviruses

AMA American Medical Association
https://www.ama-assn.org/topics/coronavirus-covid-19

FDA
https://www.fda.gov/drugs/coronavirus-covid-19-drugs/coronavirus-treatment-acceleration-program-ctap