The Department of Health distributed the fourth shipment of the investigational antiviral medication remdesivir to treat patients in the hospital with COVID-19. Yesterday, 4,400 doses of medication were sent to 73 hospitals, including St. Mary Medical Center and Jefferson Bucks County Campus. The federal government distributed the shipment to the department on Wednesday, June 3 and this entire allotment has been shipped to Pennsylvania hospitals.
“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 across Pennsylvania on May 12. A second round of 7,938 doses was sent to 79 hospitals on May 15 and 18, and a third round was distributed to 81 hospitals on May 22. 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. The department will continue to work with its federal partners to acquire more doses of this medication to serve more patients across Pennsylvania.
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 the body, which may lead to a faster recovery.
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. June 4, there were 73,942 positive cases of COVID-19 statewide in 67 counties and 5,817 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 data is available here.
The Wolf Administration stresses the role Pennsylvanians play in helping to reduce the spread of COVID-19:
– 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 sneezes 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, please wear a mask
