Officials from the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases announced Remdesivir test results on April 29, 2020. They say the medication reduced symptom duration from 15 to 11 days during clinical trials around the world. This is evidence of clear cut power to fight the coronavirus, says Dr Anthony Fauci director of the Institute.
But Steady On, Clear Cut Power to Fight the Coronavirus … How?
The mortality rate among the 1,063 patients was 8% for those taking the Remdesivir drug. This was less than the 11.6% who died after taking the dummy medication, but this is not statistically significant. Hopefully the clear cut power to fight the coronavirus will be clearer after publication of the full report.
James Gallagher of BBC health and science correspondent agrees there are still many unknowns. Is the medication curing the Covid-19, reducing the symptoms or keeping patients out of intensive care? Any of these answers would be great news for the overcrowded hospital system in the West. There was a parallel test in Wuhan. However, they ran out of patients before they could complete it.
The Data is Promising but We Must Not Run Ahead of Ourselves
Gilead Sciences developed Remdesivir to treat Ebola and Marburg virus infections. Both cause hemorrhagic fevers that damage blood vessel walls and interfere with blood’s ability to clot.
John Hopkins identified Remdesivir as a ‘likely promising treatment for Covid-19’ in April 2020. This was after animal trials with infected rhesus macaque monkeys showed it blocked disease progression.
It’s extremely important to note the Remdesivir drug is neither a silver bullet nor a magic solution with clear cut power to fight the coronavirus single-handed. The trial involving human patients shortened the period the Covid-19 symptoms lasted. However, only some 30% of the patients survived the illness. None the less, the test results do show positive progress.
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