Medical experts report that the drug remdesivir is showing promising results in helping coronavirus patients recover quickly.
As the medical industry rushes to concoct a cure for the coronavirus, many believe that it will take years to do so. As a result, some experts are turning into already approved drugs to find the cure. Remdesivir is one of those drugs.
One of the drugs that show promising result against the coronavirus is Remdesivir. It is produced by Gilead Sciences. Among many drugs that are being tested, this one shows promising results.
Remdesivir test results and effects
Many governments around the world are working together to fund the medical study regarding the efficacy of Remdesivir. Official results reveal that patients who took the drug show fast recovery compared to those that did not.
BREAKING! #Remdesivir response!
-Clinical improvement in 10-11 days
-More than half of the patients were discharged from the hospital by day 14.
-64.5% in the five-day group, 53.8% in the 10-day group achieved clinical recovery. https://t.co/VbLimE2e84 #COVID19 #coronavirus— John Nosta (@JohnNosta) April 29, 2020
Test results also revealed that patients who took remdesivir recover within 11 to 15 days. This tests are widespread, and it cover those who suppress mild and even severe conditions.
In a statement National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director Dr. Anthony Fauci said:
“The data shows that remdesivir has a clear-cut, significant, positive effect in diminishing the time to recovery.”
The medical trial administer more than 1000 people with the drug. The test was done internationally with hundreds of countries participating. The number of subjects was intentionally high in order to accurately test the efficacy of the drug.
It helps but it is not a cure
Despite the success of the tests, there are still a number of skepticism behind the efficacy of remdesivir. The drug itself does not cure coronavirus, but it helps alleviate symptoms. This makes it easier for patients to recover.
The same study reveals that eight percent of those who receive the drug still died. On the other hand, 11% of those who took a placebo died. While this is an interesting point, experts believe that it does not reveal anything important on the point of view of statistics.
The World Health Organization says that it is still too early to advise anything about the drug. It is important to note that only one trial has been done so far. The organization needs more data to produce a definite examination of its efficacy.
The drug is an Ebola treatment first. However, it fell out of focus due to its inefficacy. Even if remdesivir is effective against coronavirus, it is a drug that cannot be procured in a local drugstore. Patients receive the drug through an IV, and it is not available in capsule or tablet form.
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