Temple Health COVID-19 clinical trials are active, seeking recruits

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Temple Health is on the forefront of a number of COVID-19 clinical trials. They are running both inpatient and outpatient and need recruits.

There are two groups in the outpatient studies.

"One group does have to be actively infected, have to have a positive test, but not hospitalized," said Dr. Nathaniel Marchetti, Thoracic Medicine and Surgery.

So that patient isn't terribly sick.

"The other group would be someone who's not infected. We're trying to prevent an infection because they're in high risk because you know their spouse might be infected," said Dr. Marchetti.

Someone in your household is infected but you are not.

There is a one-time infusion drug and oral medications in those trials. To take part, you can reach out to Temple by calling 215-707-1359 or emailing at breathe@tuhs.temple.edu.

"They'd come in for an appointment we do what's called a screening visit to make sure they fit the criteria," said Dr. Marchetti.

The inpatient trials are for much more severe patients.

"Most of them are for people who are like very sick in the spectrum of being hospitalized, meaning they're requiring oxygen," said Dr. Daniel Salerno, Clinical Thoracic Medicine and Surgery.

The data of the inpatient trials will be compiled with other hospitals.

"We are one of the centers but there are many other centers in the United States or even outside the United States," said Dr. Salerno.

Once the data is put together, the study is closed and the results are published.