"This drug on to be given to people with morbid to severe COVID," is what Dr. Andrew Kalil told Chris Cuomo
Chris Cuomo had a very important guest, by the name of Dr. Andre Kalil, to stop by last night to talk about a new drug, remdesivir, which is being used to treat critically ill COVID-19 patients.
Dr. Kalil is a professor at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and a key investigator working with the biopharmaceutical company, Gilead, on the coronavirus treatment trials. “This drug is only to be given to people with morbid to severe COVID disease,” is what Dr. Kalil told Chris Cuomo.
There are three requirements a patient needs to meet in order to receive the remdesivir drug. First, the patient must be hospitalized with pneumonia. Secondly, a patient must need the assistance of a ventilator in order to breath. Finally, a patient must have a respiratory illness they were being treated for before they contracted COVID-19.
Related-FDA issues emergency use authorization to Gilead Services Inc for the use of the drug remdesivir to treat severely ill COVID-19 patients
According to Dr. Kalil, critically ill COVID-19 patients who were given the remdesivir drug recovered 4 days earlier, down from 15 days to 11 days, than critically ill COVID-19 patients who weren’t given remdesivir. Dr. Kalil also stated that remdesivir decrease the chances, from 11.6% to 8.0%, of a critically ill COVID-19 patient dying from the virus.
On February 21, 2020, Dr. Kalil and his team begin testing the drug on a critically ill COVID-19 patient who was aboard the Diamond Cruise Ship. The patient was given the drug intravenously and was able to recover four days sooner than patients who were not given the drug.
According to Dr. Kalil, he and his team of researchers have conducted trials across approximately 70 sites in 7 countries. There are 50 sites located in the United States and approximately 20 sites spread out over 6 countries (South Korea, Singapore, Japan, Denmark, Germany, and Spain).
Dr. Kalil made a point to note that remdesivir is not a magical drug that will cure people who have COVID-19 and that the public should continue to take the safety precautions they’ve been taking in order to decrease their chances of contracting the virus. “This is not a cure. This is a treatment…when it comes to public health, remdisivir is going to have absolutely no impact because remdisivir is not a drug to be use to prevent infection,” is what Dr. Kalil said to Cuomo.
There are two important points the public needs to keep in mind. The first is that COVID-19 is a virus. And the second point is that there are no cures for any viral infections.
Now, I know there are those of you who are saying to yourselves, “What the cheddar biscuits?! What’s the purpose of doing all of this brainy research stuff if the docs can’t get me back to tip top shape with a magical pill and whatnot?!”
Welp, “the purpose of doing all of this brainy research stuff” is so the scientists and doctors can find a vaccine that will help get you “back to tip top shape…and whatnot.”
Vaccines are the only weapons we humans have to fight off those little stinker of a buggers called viruses. We use vaccines to fight off the flu, polio, and now chickenpox.
And I’m sure the scientists will soon find a vaccine to give that COVID-19 a “Mike Tyson” knockout punch.
Dr. Kalil is a professor at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and a key investigator working with the biopharmaceutical company, Gilead, on the coronavirus treatment trials. “This drug is only to be given to people with morbid to severe COVID disease,” is what Dr. Kalil told Chris Cuomo.
There are three requirements a patient needs to meet in order to receive the remdesivir drug. First, the patient must be hospitalized with pneumonia. Secondly, a patient must need the assistance of a ventilator in order to breath. Finally, a patient must have a respiratory illness they were being treated for before they contracted COVID-19.
Related-FDA issues emergency use authorization to Gilead Services Inc for the use of the drug remdesivir to treat severely ill COVID-19 patients
According to Dr. Kalil, critically ill COVID-19 patients who were given the remdesivir drug recovered 4 days earlier, down from 15 days to 11 days, than critically ill COVID-19 patients who weren’t given remdesivir. Dr. Kalil also stated that remdesivir decrease the chances, from 11.6% to 8.0%, of a critically ill COVID-19 patient dying from the virus.
On February 21, 2020, Dr. Kalil and his team begin testing the drug on a critically ill COVID-19 patient who was aboard the Diamond Cruise Ship. The patient was given the drug intravenously and was able to recover four days sooner than patients who were not given the drug.
According to Dr. Kalil, he and his team of researchers have conducted trials across approximately 70 sites in 7 countries. There are 50 sites located in the United States and approximately 20 sites spread out over 6 countries (South Korea, Singapore, Japan, Denmark, Germany, and Spain).
Dr. Kalil made a point to note that remdesivir is not a magical drug that will cure people who have COVID-19 and that the public should continue to take the safety precautions they’ve been taking in order to decrease their chances of contracting the virus. “This is not a cure. This is a treatment…when it comes to public health, remdisivir is going to have absolutely no impact because remdisivir is not a drug to be use to prevent infection,” is what Dr. Kalil said to Cuomo.
There are two important points the public needs to keep in mind. The first is that COVID-19 is a virus. And the second point is that there are no cures for any viral infections.
Now, I know there are those of you who are saying to yourselves, “What the cheddar biscuits?! What’s the purpose of doing all of this brainy research stuff if the docs can’t get me back to tip top shape with a magical pill and whatnot?!”
Welp, “the purpose of doing all of this brainy research stuff” is so the scientists and doctors can find a vaccine that will help get you “back to tip top shape…and whatnot.”
Vaccines are the only weapons we humans have to fight off those little stinker of a buggers called viruses. We use vaccines to fight off the flu, polio, and now chickenpox.
And I’m sure the scientists will soon find a vaccine to give that COVID-19 a “Mike Tyson” knockout punch.
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