Holly Larsen, respiratory therapist tends to a COVID-19 patient on a RotoProne bed at a Stamford Hospital Intensive Care Unit (ICU), on April 24, 2020 in Stamford, Connecticut. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images) A potential COVID-19 antiviral drug is showing early promise and effectiveness in hamsters, according to a new study from the National Institutes of Health.Results revealed that the experimental antiviral drug MK-4482 "significantly decreased levels of virus and disease damage in the lungs of hamsters treated for SARS-CoV-2 infection," according to a statement.The experimental drug, delivered only orally, is now being tested in human clinical trials.