(ANSA) - BERGAMO, 11 JUN - The results were already inpre-print, but now comes the publication in 'EClinicalMedicine', a magazine that belongs to 'The Lancet': a simple algorithm for the home treatment of patients Covid-19 can prevent hospitalization. The study was developed by the Mario Negri Institute and carried out in collaboration with a group of general practitioners from Varese and Teramo. In the first 2-3 days - explain the authors, Giuseppe Remuzzi, director of Mario Negri and Fredy Suter, primary emeritus of the Papa Giovanni XXIII Hospital in Bergamo - the Covid-19 is in the incubation phase and the person still has no symptoms. Over the next 4-7 days, the viral load increases, causing the first symptoms to appear. Intervene in this phase,starting treatment at home and treating Covid-19 as it would with any other respiratory infection, even before the results of the swab are available, could help speed up recovery and reduce the need for hospitalization. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) would be those most indicated in the early stages of the disease. The study involved 90 patients with mild Covid-19, who were treated at home by their family doctors under the proposed protocol. It resulted in a decrease from 13 to 2 patients requiring hospitalization and a reduction of more than 90% in the total number of hospitalization days and related treatment costs, compared to a group of patients with the same characteristics, but who had received other therapeutic regimens. .These results were confirmed in another control group of 1779 patients.
"Our study is imperfect because it is retrospective - says Remuzzi - but it is interesting that, in these days, an article published in 'The Lancet' by British and Australian researchers confirms our results with an early approach based on an anti-asthma preparation (which contains a small amount of cortisone) to be administered by inhalation in the very early stages of the disease ". "It is very important - emphasizes Suter - that the suggestions deriving from these studies are not interpreted as a 'do it yourself'". (HANDLE).