New guidelines for Remdesivir and its effectiveness in COVID-19 treatment

At a time when the Indian hospitals are running short of oxygen supply and drugs such as Remdesivir, it's imperative to know why this drug is so important in the treatment of critical COVID-19 positive patients. Remdesivir is given to patients who have moderate or moderate progressing towards severe COVID-19 infection.

Remdesivir was the first drug approved by the USFDA for treating the SARS-CoV-2 virus. It was claimed to be effective in the severe and critical stages of COVID-19. But, it was also understood to be 'hepatotoxic', meaning damaging to the liver cells.

According to a WHO study, Remdesivir fails to prevent deaths among patients but may reduce the length of hospital stay by 1-3 days.

As per experts, this drug should be administered on patients who are asymptomatic, mildly symptomatic, or who are severely ill and have suffered multi-organ dysfunction.

It can, however, be used between the second and tenth day of infection to improve its effectiveness among patients who have a moderate or moderate progressing-towards-severe infection.

The doctor explains the ideal course is six doses over five days (first day 200mg followed by 100mg for the next 4 days), and should not be overused.

Meanwhile, officials of the district health department in Noida said on Thursday that new guidelines have been issued regarding the usage of Remdesivir.

The guidelines will soon be circulated to private hospitals as well as doctors, with an aim to bring down unnecessary usage of Remdesivir and also curb the black-marketing of the drug.

According to the guideline, any hospital prescribing the antiviral medication to a patient will have to also give in writing that it does not have any dose of the drug left in its stock if it asks their family members to procure the jab from elsewhere, officials said.