Coronavirus disease 2019, better known as Covid-19, is an illness of the lungs caused by a virus called SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2), which is seen to infect humans for the very first time. Covid-19 is a highly infectious viral disease that spreads from one person to another at a very fast pace. Persons suffering from Covid-19 are likely to have breathing difficulties, fever and cough as the major symptoms.

Remdesivir is a medicine that belongs to a class of medicines called antiviral medicines. In recent laboratory studies, Remdesivir has shown to be effective in managing hospitalized patients suffering from severe Covid-19 infection. Although Remdesivir has not been approved for treating Covid-19 patients, some studies suggest that patients who were treated with Remdesivir showed faster recovery compared to those who were taking some other treatment. However, the safety and efficiency of Remdesivir in the treatment of Covid-19 is yet to be established and there are many clinical trials going on for the same.

Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) is a declaration issued by the Food Drug and Cosmetic Act (FDA) to use certain medicines, vaccines or devices to diagnose, treat or prevent a serious medical condition (such as Covid-19 in the current scenario) in case there is an outbreak of such an illness that poses threat to public health. FDA may not approve the use of any such medical measures but may still allow it to be used against the illness weighing the benefits against the risks involved.

Remdesivir is administered only in hospitalized patients, both children as well as adults, who have severe Covid-19 infection, as an injection intravenously (into a vein) by a doctor only and should not be self-administered. Severe Covid-19 infection means those patients whose oxygen saturation (SpO2) ≤94% on room air or those who require supplemental oxygen, mechanical ventilation, and/or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). Follow your doctor’s instructions carefully to get maximum benefit from Remdesivir.

EUA has recently permitted the use of Remdesivir in managing only hospitalized patients who are suspected to have or are suffering from severe Covid-19 infection, as it has shown quicker recovery in both adults and children who are facing serious breathing difficulties due to severe Covid-19 infection.

Remdesivir is still being studied in the various ongoing clinical trials. So far, it is seen that Remdesivir inhibits replication of SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes Covid-19), a process by which this virus multiplies and helps in spreading the infection. In this way the amount of virus in the human body decreases, thereby leading to faster recovery.

The possible side effects of Remdesivir may be anemia (low number of red blood cells), fever, kidney damage, nausea, vomiting, shivering, sweating, low blood pressure and increased levels of liver enzymes. However, these are not all of the side effects of Remdesivir and we are yet to know more of the side effects. Remdesivir and its use in treating Covid-19 is still being studied and evaluated. Therefore, it is important to know that there might be more risks involved with the use of Remdesivir.

There is limited data available to support the safety or effectiveness of Remdesivir in managing hospitalized patients with severe Covid-19 patients. Its use has been permitted for treating severely infected hospitalized patients, both adults and children, only after weighing the benefits against the possible side effects and risks involved. However, there are various ongoing clinical trials and the safety of Remdesivir is yet to be established in patients receiving it.

There is limited data available regarding the use of Remdesivir in treating Covid-19 patients. The safety and efficacy of Remdesivir in pregnant or breastfeeding mothers is not known yet. If you are planning a baby, pregnant or breastfeeding, consult your doctor if you are tested positive for Covid-19 or even if you are suspected of Covid-19 infection. Your doctor will decide what is best for you depending on your condition.

Before receiving Remdesivir, tell your doctor about all of your medical conditions, such as kidney or liver problems, any serious illnesses such as heart disease or diabetes, including any allergies. Let your doctor know if you have been taking any medications (prescription, over-the-counter, vitamins, or herbal products) for any other illnesses. This is because Remdesivir may affect or be affected by the way other medicines work. Especially tell your doctor if you are taking any medicines containing chloroquine phosphate or hydroxychloroquine sulfate. Additionally, you should inform your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or if you are breastfeeding to prevent any harm to the baby.

No. Remdesivir should not be used to prevent Covid-19. There is no data available for its role in preventing Covid-19.

Remdesivir has been approved by Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) in view of the ongoing pandemic for emergency use only. Therefore, it should not be used as a preventive therapy for suspected cases. You should use Remdesivir only in proven COVID patients, where clinically indicated.