Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Research
Find a full list of our most recent COVID-19 News on Methodology
The new coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak is a rapidly evolving situation. There is a great deal that is unknown about this virus and research is needed to accelerate testing and therapies. While our Houston Methodist clinicians are prepared to treat patients, the Academic Institute is dedicated to coordinating clinical trials, developing new vaccines and treatment, and producing PPE, ventilators, and critical medical technologies.
Monday, September 14, 2020 - The CURATOR digital repository brought rapid access to data comparing differences between Houston’s first and second surges, allowing Houston Methodist to quickly adapt treatment plans.
Friday, August 14, 2020 - The first to receive FDA approval to offer convalescent plasma therapy—and the first to publish study results—Houston Methodist is leading medical research on treatments for COVID-19. For this Houston patient, the decision to participate in the research trial made all the difference.
Tuesday, August 4, 2020 - The pandemic is bringing a new awareness of the social determinants of health—and possibly a new population health data set that reveals more about health inequities. Director of the Center for Outcomes Research Bita Kash, PhD, discusses the effects on hospital-community partnerships.
Monday, July 27, 2020 - An antiviral drug, favipiravir, previously approved in Japan to treat influenza, is now under clinical investigation at Houston Methodist to treat the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. The Phase 2, multicenter, randomized trial is sponsored by Fujifilm Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc. .
Wednesday, May 6, 2020 - Many of the most severe COVID-19 cases occur in patients who have a heightened immune response, called a “cytokine storm.” To slow this process, Deepa Gotur, MD, studied medications used to decrease the cytokine storm in patients with numerous autoimmune diseases. She is now moving forward with two clinical trials.
Wednesday, April 22nd, 2020- Houston Methodist’s System Quality & Patient Safety team focused on using an autoclave—a device for immediate-use steam sterilization—to enable reuse of the now-precious N95 respirator masks. Their new protocol was recently published in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology.
Thursday, April 16, 2020 - Early results encourage the clinical research team conducting the clinical trials of Gilead Sciences’ antiviral drug Remdesivir for COVID-19 patients. Methodist Hospital is the only clinical trial site in Houston for the antiviral drug trial.
Tuesday, April 14, 2020- Only the most severe COVID-19 patients require a stay in the ICU. While their care begins with nasal cannula oxygen, it may quickly progress to intubation, which can put health care providers at risk. Director of critical care Faisal Masud, MD, began seeking for clinical alternatives to intubation. One innovative device—the helmet—was brought to his attention by Houston Methodist Chief Academic Officer, Dirk Sostman, MD.
Wednesday, April 8, 2020- Houston Methodist leveraged their Engineering Medicine (EnMed) collaboration with Texas A&M University to develop a 3D printed spacer that can be attached to an inhaler.
Monday, March 30, 2020- As the need for intubation increases in U.S. cases, so does the need for a new method of safe delivery for health care works. Two Houston Methodist doctors, Steven H. Hsu, MD, and Faisal N. Masud, MD, have developed a way to bring that added safety to their co-workers. They designed the Houston Methodist Aerosol Container, or HMAC, a clear plastic box-like device that shields clinicians from expelled air when intubating a patient.
Saturday, March 28, 2020- Houston Methodist received FDA approval Saturday to become the first academic medical center in the nation to transfuse donated plasma from a recovered COVID-19 patient into a critically ill patient.
Thursday, March 26, 2020- As cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) increase and leaders across the nation put out a call for personal protective equipment for health care workers, Houston Methodist is working with its engineering partners at Texas A&M University to design a kit for creating a safe and efficient alternative to N95 masks.
Thursday, March 26, 2020- Houston Methodist Hospital is a participating site for two phase 3 clinical studies to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the Gilead Sciences pharmaceutical Remdesivir in adults diagnosed with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Wednesday, March 25, 2020- With the rapid onset of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, only limited national and international guidelines currently exist guiding approaches to treatment. In response to the urgent need for effective, evidence-based approaches, two Houston Methodist physicians are developing management strategies and measuring outcomes for treating COVID-19, an upper respiratory illness that can range in severity.
Tuesday, March 17, 2020- Houston Methodist researchers are partnering with GeneOne Life Science Inc. to develop an RNA vaccine against COVID-19, the novel coronavirus that has caused a global pandemic.