As this pandemic continues, it is sometimes hard to understand what medical professionals/researchers are dealing with when tackling this virus. I want to discuss a popular treatment that was extrapolated in the news: Remdesivir. My mother called me one day after hearing that there was a “cure” for Covid-19. I, being very confused because I was not expecting to hear that for about a year, asked her what exactly she heard and she said something about the drug Remdesivir. After doing research today, I was able to conclude that this drug has NOT been proven effective, but it is important to understand why it may have worked.
Remdesivir was one of the drugs that had been previously used to treat other coronaviruses like SARS and MERS. Its use was to stop the ability of the virus to produce new genomes for emerging viruses and stop its ability to make new proteins. Unfortunately, its ability to work against Covid-19 does not seem likely. There was a trial conducted where patients were given Remdesivir 2x a day for 14 days, and it concluded with no benefits from the drug. It is hard to sit at home and read breaking news articles that are skewed by the media stating that a cure is found. Hope is important but understanding is needed in times like these because we do not know what the next outcome will be.
Taking time to do research on things you hear or read is really important. It is really easy to be passive, but it is important to take time to read from CREDIBLE sources. The general population has just as much of a duty to be active listeners to professionals as they have in research. This is a major thing that I have tried to emphasize to my mother. Hearing what you want to hear is sometimes more powerful than the facts. Listen to the CDC and abstain from reading flashy articles. That’s what I tell her (love you mom).
Stay Safe!
Microbiology with Alicia 