For as long as I can remember, people have been advocating, pleading for a cure to the dreaded Covid-19 virus. Innocent human beings were being wiped off the face of the planet left, right and center, and people have had enough of it.
Develop the cure already, they begged. Before more people succumb to the virus!
But it wasn’t as easy as it sounded; throughout the last few months, researchers have been toiling day and night to uncover a potential cure. And while there were hopeful instances, they would soon be let down by the fact that the Covid-19’s more sinister, more untreatable, than they previously thought. The pandemic was wreaking havoc on Earth; time was running out. Yet, the sight of a cure was still nowhere to be found.
Truly, it’s nothing but an utter calamity.
But just as all hopes were lost, a light emerged at the end of the tunnel. Admittedly, it’s rather faint. Dim even. But it was something. As researchers endeavored and persisted in their findings, they’ve uncovered a drug that supposedly does the second best thing to ending the virus once and for all:
Hastening the process of recovery.
And the name of this faint light, this feeble hope that might yet hold key to humanity’s fight against the pandemic?
It’s none other than… Remdesivir.
10 Facts About Remdesivir, The Drug That’s Now Been Proven to Help COVID-19 Patients Recover Faster
1. What is Remdesivir?
Remdesivir is a broad-spectrum antiviral medication that triggers the early termination of viral replicated cells.
It was created and developed by the American biopharmaeutical company Gilead Sciences.
To utilise, the drug’s supplied through injection into a vein.
2. Original intent
Believe it or not, Remdesivir was originally developed to treat Ebola virus disease and Marburg virus disease.
When it proved ineffective against the specified viral infections, however, it was neglected in favour of other antibody treatments.
3. But it was not forgotten
Even though Remdesivir was neglected, it was not forgotten. It was later found to possess antiviral activity (in vitro) against multiple filoviruses, pneumoviruses, paramyxoviruses and coronaviruses.
Which leads to the next point;
4. Promising treatment method for Covid-19
As of April 2019, Remdesivir is viewed as the most promising treatment method for the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
According to CNN, a government-funded study discovered that patients who took remdesivir recovered more quickly than patients who did not. The drug’s reported to have improved recovery time for patients from 15 to 11 days.
5. However, it’s far from a cure
Although Remdesivir seems to be efficient in the fight against Covid-19, authorities have said that the drug should not be perceived as a cure.
And while the drug cuts the duration of the illness, it does not prevent death. People taking the drug have still died of the virus.
6. And to complicate matters…
A trial revolving around remdesivir was actually held in China over the February-March period. Contrary to what one might expect, however, the drug did not prove effective in decreasing the time for improvement from Covid-19.
“Unfortunately, our trial found that while safe and adequately tolerated, remdesivir did not provide significant benefits over placebo,” Bin Cao, the lead researcher of the study, said in a statement.
In fact, the drug caused several adverse effects to materialise, which forced investigators to terminate the trial.
But of course, the US didn’t give up and here we are.
7. Adverse effects
According to sources, the most common negative effects include the following:
- Respiratory failure
- Low potassium
- Low count of red blood cells
- Low count of platelets that assist clotting
- Yellow discoloration of the skin
Also, side effects such as gastrointestinal distress, heightened transainase levels in the blood, infusion site reactions as well as QT-interval prolongation have also been reported in research findings.
Well, that doesn’t sound good.
8. Size differences?
Though with that said, the trial failure in China might be attributed towards its sample size. According to CNN, the team at China-Japan Friendship Hospital and Capital Medical University in China had tested the drug using 237 coronavirus patients in Wuhan.
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On the other hand, 1,090 people participated in the recent successful trial, which indicated an improvement in recovery time.
Apparently, larger studies with a higher sample size, as well as the implementation of careful controls, might be necessary to tell whether specific treatments work.
And as with any treatment method, adverse effects of some form would almost inevitably occur. So adverse effects should be taken with a grain of salt, in the sense that they might only occur on a case-by-case basis.
9. The search continues
Even with this latest anti-virus breakthrough, however, researchers have stated that they’re going to persist in the search for other therapies.
“We have work to do. We are looking for other therapies. This trial is going to continue,” Dr Andre Kalil said.
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Well, I see the researchers have their work cut out for them, considering how the most effective drug to date seems to only alleviate recovery time.
A cure, as far as they’re concerned, is still miles beyond reach.
Even so, however, remdesivir does represent a milestone in researchers’ efforts against Covid-19. By verifying its potency, researchers have proven that there are indeed drugs out there that could counteract the current pandemic.
“It is very important proof of concept,” said Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. “What it has proven is that a drug can block this virus.”
10. FDA Now Approves the Use of the Drug
Having a working treatment is one thing; getting it approved is another.
Every authority wants to play it safe, and in the US, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for that.
Just hours ago, President Trump said that the FDA has officially granted authorisation for the use of the drug for “emergency use”. This means hospitals all over the US can use it, and the maker of the drug, Gilead Sciences, has pledged to donate 1.5 million vials of the drug to help patients, which will be distributed to the hospitals on Monday.
And so let’s trust in the medical teams, all around the world. Because if there’s one thing they’ve proved with the successful trial of remdesivir…
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It’s that there is a light at the end of the tunnel after all.