Four Out of 106 Patients in South Korea Have Side Effects From Remdesivir - Reports
Four out of 106 patients administered remdesivir to treat COVID-19 in South Korea have experienced side effects, such as enlarged liver and a skin rash, the Yonhap news agency reported on Tuesday, citing the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC)
TOKYO (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 05th August, 2020) Four out of 106 patients administered remdesivir to treat COVID-19 in South Korea have experienced side effects, such as enlarged liver and a skin rash, the Yonhap news agency reported on Tuesday, citing the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
Initially developed by US manufacturer Gilead Sciences as an Ebola drug, remdesivir has shown a positive effect in treating SARS and MERS. Since July, South Korea has been using the drug to treat serious COVID-19 cases.
According to the KCDC, the drug has been administered mostly to elderly patients with underlying diseases. The work to determine the exact efficacy of remdesivir is underway.
The first batch of the US drug had been donated to South Korea. The KCDC reportedly intends to enter talks to purchase more.
A COVID-19 patient usually needs a five-day treatment course of six vials of Remdesivir. The US company charges developed countries $390 per vial. In South Korea, the government covers the cost of coronavirus treatment.