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FDA approves remdesivir as first drug for treatment against COVID-19

Local hospitals that have already been using the drug will continue prescribing it.

TAMPA, Fla. — Today the FDA approved remdesivir as the first treatment for COVID-19.

The drug was already being used in many of our local hospitals under an emergency use authorization, but this new approval gives physicians full clearance to treat those with coronavirus with the drug.

Remdesivir has been used at Sarasota Memorial Hospital since its clinical trial of the drug months ago. That trial contributed to the FDA’s decision to approve the drug today.

"The FDA is confident in the data that they've seen from the clinical trials, that remdesivir is both safe, and it does have measurable clinical effect," Dr. Michael Teng, a virologist at USF Health said. 

While remedesivir has and will continue to be used at local hospitals like Sarasota Memorial Hospital and Tampa General Hospital, this approval will give other doctors confidence to either continue using the drug or start.

This comes after the World Health Organization announced that a study they ran showed remdesivir does not impact mortality rates in patients. 

However, Dr. Teng points out that the FDA's approval did not hinge on preventing death, rather, it was approved because clinical trials proved it improved patient's side effects, lessened time on ventilators, and decreased time in the ICU.

"If you can keep somebody out of the ICU for five more days, that's, you know, that's good for everybody," Dr. Teng said.

Dr. Kirk Voelker, the director of clinical research at Sarasota Memorial Hospital, explained the drug also helped with the length of hospital stays for those with COVID-19.

"Patients on oxygen got out of the hospital seven days earlier, if you weren't on oxygen, you get out five days earlier,” he said.

It is important to note that remdesivir is a treatment, not a cure for COVID-19. That means all the necessary precautions like wearing a mask, social distancing, and washing hands are still highly recommended.

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