Due to the recent surge in coronavirus cases hospitals and medical facilities have started to run out of resources and are struggling to meet the needs of severe Covid-19 patients. In recent times there has been a huge demand for the antiviral drug, Remdesivir. While the drug is said to treat and relieve patients suffering from severe COVID symptoms, Indian authorities claim that Remdesivir is not a life-saving drug and its unnecessary to use is unethical.
With this second wave we are back to square one. While vaccines have been our hope in this bad situation, the second wave of coronavirus has taken a toll on the country’s healthcare system.
As per Dr. Balram Bhargava, director-general of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), in the second wave of COVID-19, while the older population continues to be more vulnerable, there has been a growing increase in the number of younger people testing positive for the virus.
Following this, the unavailability of vaccines to the younger generation may also be one of the leading factors as to why younger and healthy people are landing up in hospitals.
The growing need of Remdesivir:
At this time of crisis, oxygen ventilators, COVID-19 plasma, and antiviral drugs like Remdesivir are in high demand.
Right now remdesivir is an approved antiviral drug manufactured by Gilead (US), which was initially developed for the treatment of viral hepatitis, and a cold-like virus called respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Because of its initial response against the virus, US FDA approved this drug to treat COVID-19.
In India, the Ministry of Health also recommended it as an investigational therapy in their COVID-19 management protocol document, however, clarified that it is not a “life-saving drug”.
Looking after India’s current battle against this deadly virus, and India’s distributed infrastructure, people are ready to try any means of survival during this time. Doctors say” “Remdesivir isn’t a magic bullet and isn’t a drug that decreases mortality.”We may use Remdesivir as we don’t have an antiviral drug. Remdesivir was proven useful for those in hospitals and on oxygen…it can’t be taken as a regular antibiotic,” he added.
With social media filled with requests for Remdesivir, some reports suggest that the prices of Remdesivir have shot up in the black market and are being sold at unreasonable prices to desperate patients.
There have been many discussions about the effectiveness of Remdesivir on COVID-19 patients. While some studies have suggested that the drug has no effect against the deadly virus, others have claimed that it shortens the recovery period in COVID patients.
Looking at the current situation we just want to say that Stay home, stay safe.