BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, there are over $6 million COVID-19 positive cases and over 180,000 deaths in the United States alone.
Bakersfield is now a part of a new international COVID-19 treatment clinical trial called COLCORONA. The trial will be using Colchicine, which is a commonly used anti-inflammatory drug to treat gout.
"This drug has been around a long time and the side effects from the medication are diarrhea, that occurs in a small percentage of people," said Dr. William Baker, of Bakersfield Heart Hospital.
The free COLCORONA trial is recruiting individuals who meet the following criteria.
To qualify, one must have been diagnosed with COVID within 24-hours, over the age 40, and not requiring hospitalization.
The trial is recruiting 6,000 patients located throughout the world.
"Covid-19 causes a lot of inflammation in the body and we are hoping if Colchicine is given in the first two days of testing positive, it can block that inflammatory cascade," Baker said.
According to Dr. Baker, this trial just began here this week.
As of right now, there are only two Bakersfield residents signed up.
Adding there is a particular reason why this city is being asked to participate.
"We were identified because at the time for a period Kern County led the nation in a number of new cases per 100,000 we had 400 to 450 cases," Baker said.
The goal is to have at least 100 individuals in the area participating by Nov 1. To sign up and learn more about the trial, click here.
