In this Hebrew University webinar, Prof. Yaakov (Koby) Nahmias discusses how a simple drug that has been on the market for decades could be used to treat COVID-19. A research team led by Prof. Nahmias says that early research looks promising. The team has looked at how COVID-19 changes patients’ lungs in order to reproduce itself. Their major finding? This virus prevents the routine burning of carbohydrates. As a result, large amounts of fat accumulate inside lung cells, a condition the virus needs in order to reproduce. This new understanding may help explain why patients with high blood sugar and cholesterol levels are often at a particularly high risk to develop COVID-19.
The slides from the presentation are available below the webinar recording.