Article Category: Case series
Published Online: Nov 06, 2021
Page range: 312 - 317
Received: Dec 30, 2020
Accepted: Jun 15, 2021
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jccm-2021-0019
Keywords
© 2021 Melissa Robin Bowman Foster, Ali Atef Hijazi, Rebecca Opoku, Priya Varghese, Chun Li, published by Sciendo
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Introduction
The rapid worldwide spread of COVID-19 motivated medical professionals to pursue and authenticate appropriate remedies and treatment protocols. This article aims to analyze the potential benefits of one treatment protocol developed by a group of care providers caring for severe COVID-19 patients.
Methods
The clinical findings of COVID-19 patients who were transferred to a specialized care hospital after unsuccessful treatment in previous institutions, were analyzed. The specialized care hospital used a treatment protocol including hydroxyurea, a medication commonly used for sickle cell treatment, to improve respiratory distress in the COVID-19 patients. None of the COVID-19 patients included in the analyzed data were diagnosed with sickle cell, and none had previously taken hydroxyurea for any other conditions.
Results
In all presented cases, patients reverted to their baseline respiratory health after treatment with the hydroxyurea protocol. There was no significant difference in the correlation between COVID-19 and hydroxyurea. However, deaths were extremely low for those taking hydroxyurea.
Conclusions
Fatality numbers were extremely low for those taking hydroxyurea; death could be attributed to other underlying issues.