International survey aims to identify most commonly used treatments against COVID-19

Fiocruz is taking part of the survey COVID-19: our care, our actions, their effects, with the goal of getting to know better the treatments and preventive actions that people from all over the world have been experiencing in the context of the disease. Spearheaded by the Antenna Foundation, a Swiss NGO that offers technological and medical solutions to populations in need, the survey boasts the collaboration of universities and research institutions from 13 countries. In Brazil, Fiocruz Bahia is the partner in charge of the project led by the institution’s Committee of Ethics in Research (CEP, in the Portuguese acronym), under the coordination of researcher Milena Soares.

The immense volume of data obtained with the survey will be analyzed to identify which treatments may be associated with good results. The expected outcome is a selection of more promising treatments and measures to carry out a clinical trial to verify which experiences can be scientifically recommended, taking into account aspects such as efficacy and safety.

“COVID-19 is a new disease and we therefore must be ready to learn with everyone’s experiences. The responses obtained in the survey, combined with those of thousands of other people, will help us understand which preventive measures and treatments work, and which ones do not. Once all the data have been collected, we might be able to discover potentially beneficial treatments and measures that avoid contamination, for instance”, explains Renata Nogueira, researcher of the Medicine program for the Antenna Foundation.

Anyone who has or has not had COVID-19 can answer the survey anonymously by filling out an online form, regardless of age, of having long-term underlying health issues or not, of having used conventional or alternative medication, such as herbs, vitamins, special diets, physical activity or no treatment whatsoever. The goal is to achieve 5,000 participants in the country. Click here to answer the survey. The questionnaire takes between 7 and 25 minutes to complete. For further information, visit the website.