Amid Covid Spurt, Medicos Advice People To Use Remdesivir Judiciously and Only in a Hospital Setting

Amid a fight to acquire Remdesivir for ailing Covid-19 patients, a group of medical experts, professionals, and task-forces have stated that the injection can only be used inside a hospital setting.

They also emphasized that studies on the efficacy of the drug do not indicate that it reduces mortality of a Covid patient.

Maharashtra’s Covid-19 Task Force member Dr. Shashank Joshi took to Twitter to put out a statement saying that Remdesivir is not a ‘life-saving’ drug.

Dr. Joshi who is currently working with the Lilavati Hospital & Research Centre in Mumbai is an endocrinologist, diabetologist and medical researcher reported Deccan Herald.

“Remdesivir is not a life-saving drug in Covid-19; studies do not demonstrate mortality reduction with this drug. Evidence shows Remdesivir reduces the duration of hospital stay. Remdesivir is to be administered only, and only, in the hospital setting,” the statement read.

The statement also made it clear that the drug can only be administered to moderately sick patients who are receiving oxygen in the hospital for a period of 5 days during the first 9-10 days of contracting the virus.

The medicos also cautioned against the irrational or unethical use of Remdesivir at home.

Earlier, a report by TOI also cautioned the people to use the drug judiciously. Talking to TOI, a member of the Covid task force asserted that Remdesivir drug is not required for all cases. He said that it should be administered only when the oxygen saturation drops or the patent is suffering from a high-grade fever along with breathlessness. He also specified that indiscriminate use of the drug may also adversely impact the lung and kidneys of a Comorbid patient.

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