An expert on infectious diseases at the University of Washington School of Medicine is involved in not just one, but two studies that are focusing on potential therapies to nip COVID-19 in the bud.
- UW epidemiologist Helen Chu came into the spotlight during the early stages of the coronavirus outbreak when she and her colleagues in the Seattle Flu Study identified the first U.S. patient to get COVID-19 through community transmission. Their work was controversial at first, but eventually the Seattle Flu Study won support for a new project called the Seattle Coronavirus Assessment Network, or SCAN.
- In addition to working on SCAN, Chu is taking part in a multi-site study that’s assessing an existing antiviral drug called remdesivir. “The goal of the remdesivir trial is really to understand whether something that’s currently available can be used to treat people with COVID-19,” Chu said in a news release.
- The other study focuses on COVID-19 patients who successfully fight off the virus. “Can we figure out what this good immune response is, and dissect out what we can do with the samples that we collect from people who have recovered, and develop targeted therapies that can help in the future?” Chu asked.