Ask ANTRUK
Here we aim to answer your questions regarding COVID-19, antibiotics and antibiotic resistant infections. If you have a question you'd like answered, you can use the form to ask our patient support team and we will answer it within 48 hours depending on the question's complexity.
Blood poisoning or septicaemia are both terms which refer to the invasion of bacteria into the bloodstream causing severe infection. Sepsis is a more rare, but serious complication of infection. It can lead to multiple organ failure and even death, sometimes without blood poisoning or septicaemia. The main cause of sepsis is usually bacterial infection, although sepsis can sometimes be due to fungal or viral infection ( like COVID-19). You can find out more about sepsis here.
29 May 2020
One of the best things you can do is to support your immune system and strengthen it. The NHS advice includes trying to eat well, hydrate properly, take regular exercise and get enough rest and sleep. If you are worried that you are more vulnerable it is worth speaking to your GP and consider self isolating to shield you from the risk of catching the virus. Anyone who is immuno-suppressed is considered to be at more risk from COVID-19, however these are usually people treated with drugs which suppress the immune system. Antibiotics are not in this category.
28 May 2020
The RECOVERY trial is currently the largest randomised controlled trial of hydroxychloroquine and other potential treatments for COVID-19 in the UK. A recent Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) review has recommended that the trial continues to recruit to the hydroxychloroquine section of the trial. You can find out more information here.
27 May 2020
Hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine, sometimes in combination with an antibiotic called azithromycin, has been widely discussed and used recently for treatment of COVID-19. While used and licensed for malaria and autoimmune diseases such as lupus, the safety and benefit of these medicines has not been proven in patients with COVID-19. Hydroxychloroquine was being tested as part of a large global study coordinated by the World Health Organization looking at a number of different drugs and their effect in COVID-19 patients. The hydroxychloroquine element of the study was put 'on hold' in May 2020 after the Lancet medical journal published a study of coronavirus patients in 671 hospitals across six continents that found those who took this drug were more likely to die or develop irregular heart rhythms than those who didn't. The RECOVERY trial in the UK continues to test hydroxychloroquine for use in COVID-19.
26 May 2020
Antibiotics do not treat viruses such as COVID-19, but they are absolutely essential for treating bacterial infections. Patients with COVID-19 are very susceptible to secondary bacterial infections which can only be treated with antibiotics. People on ventilators are particularly susceptible. We understand just how difficult it can be to find information on the internet which is trustworthy and reliable. You can find help HERE to work out what sources of information you can trust during these difficult times of information overload.
22 May 2020
There are a number of existing antiviral drugs under investigation through clinical trials for use against COVID-19. Most of these drugs are already used for other viral conditions such as Ebola or HIV and none are yet clinically proven against COVID-19. Remdesivir is an antiviral under investigation against COVID-19 which has now been approved for clinical use in the UK for specific hospitalised patients. It is important to note that an opportunistic or secondary bacterial infection can develop in patients with COVID-19. This means we also need governments, globally, to ensure we are also focussing on developing new antibiotic treatments to reduce poor outcomes from the secondary bacterial infections and not just the virus itself.
21 May 2020
When someone gets infected with any general flu type virus, the virus can hijack the person's immune system. As a consequence, that person is then susceptible to getting what is called a secondary bacterial infection. It is estimated that in general between 10 – 30% of patients with a flu type virus will get a secondary bacterial infection. It is becoming increasingly clear that people who are weakened by COVID-19 are susceptible to contracting secondary bacterial infections. These can be acquired in hospital and are often resistant to treatment with antibiotics. You can explore the facts and figures published so far HERE.
20 May 2020
Vitamin D helps to keep bones, teeth and muscles healthy. It also plays an important role in the immune system, which helps our body fight infection. However, the role that vitamin D plays in the management of COVID-19 is not completely clear currently. Clinical studies are ongoing to determine if vitamin D helps prevent respiratory complications, or whether it provides specific protection towards COVID-19. The emerging evidence suggests that the outcomes for those who develop COVID-19, and who already have a deficiency or insufficient levels of vitamin D, may be negatively affected in terms of morbidity (degree of ill health) and mortality (death rates).
The NHS across the UK advises anyone staying at home for most of the day, with limited exposure to sunlight, to consider taking a daily 10 microgram vitamin D supplement.
Links to further advice below:
19 May 2020
Currently there is not enough evidence for or against the use of masks (medical or other) for healthy individuals in the wider community. WHO recommends that medical masks be worn by individuals who are ill with COVID-19 or those caring for them. WHO is actively studying the rapidly evolving science on masks and continuously updates its guidance. However this week the Government has recommended the use of face masks in enclosed spaces such as public transport and shops where social distancing is not possible to attempt to reduce transmission of COVID-19.
18 May 2020
There is currently no evidence that people who have recovered from COVID-19 and have antibodies are protected from a second infection according to the WHO. However medical and scientific advisors to the government have suggested that based on the anti-body response to other viral infections including coronaviruses, it is unlikely that a person would be infected for a second time. However, The virus causing COVID-19 is so new that this needs to be further validated with evidence.
15 May 2020
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