After being in the news March 4 due to an on-track disruption by anti-racing protestors that canceled one race and delayed six others, Golden Gate Fields will receive news coverage for another reason March 7, this time on "60 Minutes," airing on CBS at 7 p.m. ET/PT.
In a short video and supporting news story promoting its Golden Gate-related piece, the news program indicated it would report on Dr. David Seftel's encouraging results in treating COVID-19 patients with fluvoxamine, a 40-year-old antidepressant. Seftel is medical director at the Northern California track, where more than 300 individuals, mostly backstretch workers, contracted COVID-19 over the winter there, forcing a two-month suspension of racing. Many were asymptomatic.
King: Golden Gate to Resume Racing Jan. 15 After COVID-19 Suspension
According to the portion of the news report made available on the CBS website, Seftel learned of a study by psychiatrist Dr. Eric Lenze with supporting biochemistry and positive initial clinical results that convinced him to try treating newly diagnosed COVID-19 patients from the track with the medication. The drug may prevent severe lung damage.
Sunday, Sharyn Alfonsi reports on how a 40-year-old antidepressant became a possible candidate for early treatment of COVID. https://t.co/Q6Z8cuE5dr pic.twitter.com/rFf0INYRxR
— 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) March 5, 2021
"Sixty-five patients elected to take fluvoxamine, 48 declined," Seftel told CBS. "12.5% of all those who refused fluvoxamine ended up hospitalized and one died. In the group that did take fluvoxamine, none of them were hospitalized."
The report continued that Lenze is leading a national trial of fluvoxamine with over a thousand patients with results that could come next month.
