Here’s another Covid-19 article for your feed already filled with pandemic updates. But wait…did you say a treatment?

Covid-19, informally and generally known as coronavirus, is a novel human coronavirus that first appeared in December 2019 in Wuhan, China. The moment the disease was identified, Wuhan went under strict quarantine in an attempt to contain the deadly virus. Unfortunately they were unable to keep it from spreading to the rest of China, and eventually the world. It was declared a national threat on March 12, 2020, as we sat in last period of a normal day. Two weeks turned to months as the condition of the pandemic took a turn for the worse. Day by day, the world waited and looked on as the coronavirus swept through the busiest cities and loneliest villages, with no cure or authorized treatment to slow it down. Therefore, we relied on social distancing, masks, and quarantine to turn the numbers around. 

However, as 2020 nears its end, there is some hope arising that a treatment, and eventually a cure, will be here in the near future. On October 22, 2020, the FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) approved of the antiviral drug Veklury (remedesivir) as an acceptable treatment for Covid-19. Adult and pediatric patients 12 years of age and older weighing at least 40 kilograms (approx. 88 lbs) with Covid-19 cases requiring hospitalization are allowed to be treated with Veklury. This approval was enacted following three successful controlled clinical trials of the drug on patients with mild to severe Covid-19 cases. However, the Veklury treatment can only be administered in authorized hospitals and medical facilities. Tests for efficacy and safety of this drug are still ongoing as of 10/22/2020. “Possible side effects include: increased levels of liver enzymes, which may be a sign of liver injury; and allergic reactions, which may include changes in blood pressure and heart rate, low blood oxygen level, fever, shortness of breath, wheezing, swelling (e.g., lips, around eyes, under the skin), rash, nausea, sweating or shivering” (FDA). 

It is with caution that we proceed into the future, but Veklury’s wonders have sparked a hope for the slowing of the pandemic, and ultimately, returning to our normal lives. For now, wear your masks and keep social distance! It’s the only cure we have in our hands for now.

Stay strong, and stay safe! ♡