The Department of Health recently distributed the second shipment of the investigational antiviral medication remdesivir to treat patients in the hospital with COVID-19. A total of 1,158 doses of medication were sent last week to 21 hospitals, including Jefferson Bucks County Campus, and a second shipment of 6,390 doses will be distributed to 58 hospitals today. The medication was sent to the department by the federal government on Friday, May 15.
“The department is working to give our hospitals every opportunity to treat patients with COVID-19,” said Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine. “It is important to note that there is limited information on the safety and effectiveness of using remdesivir to treat people in the hospital with COVID-19. However, it was shown in a clinical trial to shorten the recovery time in some people, which is why the Food and Drug Administration has authorized the emergency use of the medication for treatment.”
The Department of Health first distributed 1,200 doses of the medication to 51 hospitals, including St. Mary Medical Center, across Pennsylvania on Tuesday, May 12. The hospitals that have received these shipments were determined based on the number of COVID-19 patients at the hospital over a recent seven-day period, and the severity of the illness of those patients based on whether they are on a ventilator.
Remdesivir is given to a patient through an IV once per day for up to 10 days, depending on how critically ill the patient is. According to the FDA, remdesivir may help decrease the amount of coronavirus in your body, which may help you get better faster.
Symptoms of COVID-19 can include: fever, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, diarrhea, chills, repeating shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat and new loss of taste or smell.
Symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as long as 14 days after exposure. Reported illnesses have ranged from people with little to no symptoms to people being severely ill and dying.
As of 12 a.m., May 15, there were 60,622 positive cases of COVID-19 statewide in 67 counties and 4,342 confirmed deaths. Most of the patients hospitalized are 65 or older, and most of the deaths have occurred in patients 65 and older. There have been no pediatric deaths to date. More information is available here.
To help reduce the spread of COVID-19, Pennsylvanians should:
– Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available
– Cover any coughs or sneeze with your elbow, not your hands
– Clean surfaces frequently
– Stay home to avoid spreading COVID-19, especially if you are unwell
– If you must go out for a life-sustaining reason, wear a mask
