COVID patient with sepsis makes 'remarkable' recovery following megadose of vitamin C
A young Australian man who was critically ill with COVID-19 and suffering early stages of blood poisoning made a remarkable recovery after being given massive doses of vitamin C, according to his doctors.
Key points:
- Sepsis is a common cause of death for people gravely ill with COVID-19
- Researchers at the Florey Institute used megadoses of vitamin C to treat sepsis in animals
- Doctors at Austin Hospital tried the technique on a critically ill patient, who then made a "remarkable" recovery
Professor Rinaldo Bellomo, director of Intensive Care at Melbourne's Austin Health, said the 40-year-old's health had started to deteriorate significantly from COVID-19, with the man losing kidney function, and his blood pressure plummeting.
Sepsis — or blood poisoning — was starting to take hold of his body and time was running out.
"We were dealing with somebody who was very unwell. We felt we were in a very difficult situation, and the patient's life was under serious threat," he said.
Professor Bellomo knew researchers at the Florey Institute had some promising experimental findings using megadose vitamin C to treat sepsis.
With the family’s consent, doctors gave the patient the same treatment the Florey researchers had trialled in animals.
Here