LSU Health Shreveport is one of five sites in the world chosen to participate in a clinical trial that will see if nitric oxide can succeessfully treat mild to moderate cases of COVID-19. Principal Investigator Dr. Keith Scott says patients will inhale very high doses of nitric oxide twice a day.
“Because the gas appears to kill the virus, so we’re hoping that if we give it early, it will prevent patients that are very susceptible who deteriorate, into needing a ventilator,” said Scott.
Scott says preliminary data suggests that inhaled nitric oxide could have a virus-killing effect on COVID-19 and they hope to have concrete results by December.
LSU-Shreveport is already participating in a clinical trial using nitric oxide for severe COVID patients. While Dr. Scott is hopeful for positive results, he says it will be months before researchers know the best possible treatment.
“We really do not know how to treat this thing, probably until December when we can look back and have really dig into the data. Really dig into what’s worked and what’s not worked,” said Scott.
Dr. Scott says the data still must be complied and analyzed for treating the virus, but they do know that nitric oxide already provides benefits for the lungs.
“It not only improves blood flow to the good part of lungs it may kill the virus also,” said Scott.
Dr. Scott says they are extremely pleased so far with results, but must do their due diligence with the study.
Reported by Brooke Thorington
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