DETROIT – A groundbreaking study was announced Thursday by Henry Ford Health System.
Doctors are looking specifically at whether hydroxychloroquine can be used to prevent people from getting coronavirus.
Hydroxychloroquine is traditionally used to treat malaria and lupus.
Doctors have been using the drug already in treatment of COVID-19 patients who have recovered, but they say there’s no way of knowing if it was the drug that made a difference.
That use has led to some hoarding of the drug, which could hinder the study.
“Everybody wants it and it was kind of like a run on toilet paper and you couldn’t go to a pharmacist to get it,” said Dr. Bill O’Neill, with Henry Ford.
“If the study is successful it could change the landscape,” Local 4′s Dr. Frank McGeorge said.
McGeorge and other doctors are energized by the thought of doctors and nurses having a shield as they treat patients.
The fast-tracked eight week study will involve 3,000 people and will start immediately.
“From a scientific side it looks promising,” O’Neill said.
READ MORE: Doctors at Henry Ford Health testing to see if drug can prevent coronavirus (COVID-19)