COVID-19 Remdesivir Treatment

In this lesson we are taking a look at one of the first beneficial treatments known to help patients with COVID-19, Remdesivir. While not a cure, this medication has been shown to be effective in reducing the duration of illness by 30% or more, and may show promise in potentially reducing mortality. There is still much to learn about what it can do, but we finally have something the aid in supporting patients with COVID-19.

I start off talking about the drug and what it is as well as a little back history on the development of the drug by Gilead Sciences. From there I move on to talk about how the drug works, first by explaining what the process is for the viral replication in the patients host cells, and then how Remdesivir plays are role in impacting this replication.

Next I talk about the dosing guidelines as outlined in the FDA’s Emergency Use Authorization, although do know that no truly known dose, frequency, or duration is quite known yet. Following that I quickly review over some of the known side effects.

Finally, I finish up by looking at the efficacy of this drug by referencing several of the studies used to determine how this drug works against SARS-CoV2.