This archive report was first published on 29 June 2020.
As the world continues to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic, doctors and hospitals have made significant progress in understanding how to treat the potentially deadly disease.
According to medical professionals, several key lessons have been learned in the six months since the outbreak began.
One of the most important discoveries is that patients with COVID-19 are at increased risk of blood clots, and blood thinning agents can help alleviate this risk.
Another crucial finding is that 'proning' – putting patients on their stomachs to relieve pressure on the lungs – can stave off the need for mechanical ventilation.
Furthermore, the coronavirus can attack many other organs besides the respiratory system and lungs, including the heart, liver, kidneys, and brain.
Several promising treatments have emerged, including the anti-viral remdesivir, dexamethasone, a steroid to treat the body's inflammatory response to COVID-19, and plasma donated by patients who have antibodies to the disease.
More widespread testing and quicker results have also helped relieve pressure on hospitals, while information-sharing among health professionals worldwide is crucial in the fight against COVID-19.
Prevention remains critical, with doctors relying on the public to do their part with good hygiene, masks, and social distancing.
Despite these advances, several unknowns remain, including exactly which treatments will work for which patients, how quickly some treatments will gain widespread distribution, and the long-term effects of the infection.
As Valory Wangler, chief medical officer at Rehoboth McKinley Christian Health Care Services in Gallup, New Mexico, noted, 'If the best lesson we've learned is to turn patients onto their stomachs instead of their backs, it means we're far from a miracle cure.'
