Covid treatment trial at Dudley hospital helping to find cures
More than 100 patients have taken part in a health trial at Dudley's Russells Hall Hospital, paving the way for better Covid treatments.
The scheme, called REMAP-CAP, sees patients given certain medicines and treatments for illnesses to cure the after effects of coronavirus.
Russells Hall has played an active role gathering data as part of the international study, with staff from many departments working together.
Hospital staff approach the patients to take part and their response to treatments is then fed back to Public Health England, enabling doctors to find out which medicines are the most effective.
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Dr Michael Reay, who has helped to lead the scheme at Russells Hall, said: "This is an international trial.
"It was open to the UK in around about March to set up. We were recruited in May.
"We had a slump in Covid so we didn't have any recruits. Once it came to September, October, that is when it really hit the peak.
"People were coming in droves and they still are. We are having about three to four patients every day [on the trial]."
He added: "Normally, the trial process takes a long time, years and years. In this kind of situation, we have had to size this up in months."
Inflammatory
Despite many patients overcoming Covid, they can remain at risk of illness or even death through after effects of the virus, such as inflammation inside the body.
Dr Vanessa Moore, trial pharmacist at the trust, said: "Covid infection comes in. Your body responds to Covid infection, triggers all this inflammatory process, but then triggers clots to occur, and then the clots kill you.
"It is the after effects of Covid that can kill a patient. But REMAP-CAP is designed to help stop those major issues."
Some of the medicines include using anti-inflammatory drugs and immune boosting therapies.
The trust is also asking people to donate blood plasma which can be used to help patients suffering longer effects from Covid.
The blood plasma of patients who have fought off Covid is rich in anti-bodies - used to fight off foreign particles. This is known as convalescent plasma.
At least 111 patients at Dudley NHS trust have taken part in the REMAP-CAP scheme so far.
It has been a success thanks to the hard work of hospital staff. Different departments have come together to collaborate on the scheme.
The trust has recruited more patients than any other trust in England to trial convalescent plasma and immune boosting therapies.
For more information on how to donate blood, visit nhsbt.nhs.uk or call 03001232323.
