SHREVEPORT, La. (KSLA) - Willis-Knighton Health System is looking for participants in a clinical trial to determine whether an oral medication will prevent COVID-19 in people who have contracted the illness from someone in the same household who is suffering symptoms.

Willis-Knighton is one of 400 facilities in the nation participating in the study.

“We are studying this antiviral medication to find out whether it can protect people exposed to COVID-19 from getting infected,” said Dr. Joseph Bocchini, principal investigator for the study.

[COVID-19: ArkLaTex information hub]

To qualify for the study, participants must:

Be 18 or older
Have no current COVID-19 symptoms
Live in the same household as someone with symptoms of COVID-19 who has recently been diagnosed with the virus

Carrie Kay, RN, CCRC, clinical research manager at Willis-Knighton, says patients who have had COVID-19, have liver or kidney disease, cancer or any other infection are ineligible for the study.

Those who participate in the study will be randomly selected to either receive the drug or a placebo by mouth twice per day for five or 10 days. Research visits will be performed by healthcare professionals for free at the WK COVID Research Center. Participants will also be monitored at home and tested throughout the study.

There is no charge to participate in the study. Each participant will receive a small stipend for their time and travel expenses.

To learn more about the study, call Kay at 318-455-9730 or click here.