WHO finds Remdesivir fails to prevent COVID-19 deaths

Geneva, October 16 (RHC)-- The World Health Organization has warned that the antiviral drug Remdesivir fails to prevent deaths among COVID-19 patients.  The WHO’s conclusion is based on a study of more than 11,000 patients.  It follows smaller, less rigorous studies that found the drug can cut the number of days COVID-19 patients are hospitalized.

Remdesivir has been routinely administered to COVID-19 patients in the United States since May, when the FDA granted the drug emergency use authorization. It was one of several drugs administered to President Donald Trump as he battled a COVID-19 infection earlier this month.

In related news, the WHO is warning that even in a best-case scenario, younger, healthier people may have to wait for over a year before they’ll be able to receive a vaccine against COVID-19.