The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a great toll on the world. The virus might at first seem to be a harmless flu, but as it makes its way into the patient’s lungs, it makes breathing next to impossible, leading to a lot of suffering and, ultimately, death. Scientists and medical professionals have been working day and night to study this curious virus. Remdesivir is a drug that doctors have actively used to treat COVID-19 patients.
What is Remdesivir and how does it work?
Remdesivir is an antiviral drug that is taken intravenously. This drug has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treating COVID-19 patients aged above 12 years and weighing above 40 kgs.
Remdesivir does not prevent the infection; it works by attacking the virus that has already made its way into the body by ensuring that the virus does not replicate itself. Remdesivir is a prodrug, which means that it is inactive at the time of injection. Once in contact with the virus, Remdesivir works by interrupting the replication of the key enzyme. Ever since its approval, Remdesivir has been actively used for treating this virus.
How is Remdesivir effective in treating COVID-19?
With the second wave of COVID-19, antiviral drugs such as Remdesivir have been in high demand. However, the efficacy of this drug has long been a topic of debate. Even though this drug has been widely used in this pandemic, some recent studies have shown that this drug has little or no effect on the virus.
Observations also indicate that there have been no signs of improvement, and Remdesivir cannot prevent people COVID-19 infected people from dying.
