China on Thursday started clinical trials on the use of Gilead Sciences' antiviral medicine remdesivir to hopefully ease the symptoms of coronavirus patients. The U.S. was first to test the antiviral drug in 2019-nCoV patients.
China Tests Gilead Sciences' Remdesivir
According to the New York Times, the United States saw some success in the use of remdesivir on the country's first confirmed coronavirus patient. After the antiviral medicine was given to the patient, his symptoms improved, raising hopes for a potential treatment.
Gilead's antiviral drug has yet to be approved for medical or other uses and is considered on the experimental stage of development. On the other hand, some studies that involved coronavirus-infected monkeys and mice indicate the drug can put up a fight against coronavirus strains.
Some experts argued that a single case of recovery with the use of remdesivir does not necessarily mean that all patients will recover if they take in the antiviral drug.
Despite the lack of adequate studies that will prove Gilead's drug can actually fight the Wuhan coronavirus, hope has been ringing around the origin city and other countries with infected patients.
Gilead spokesman Ryan McKeel said in an emailed statement that the clinical trials will involve two groups. One trial will focus on coronavirus patients who do not show severe symptoms but are at the hospital.
The second trial will involve patients who require oxygen to assist with breathing, or those whose symptoms have worsened since they were confirmed to have contracted the disease.
Remdesivir will be given to patients intravenously for 10 days before they begin an assessment period that is expected to last for up to 28 days.
Chinese Citizens in a Bind amid Fears of Getting Infected
While trials are going on with Gilead's remdesivir, people in China are trying to obtain HIV medication following reports from global health authorities indicating that such drugs can be used to reduce symptoms.
Chinese citizens, even those who have yet to test positive of the Wuhan coronavirus, are reportedly reaching out to HIV patients to ask for their assistance on how to obtain anti-HIV medication, Reuters reported
A group of concerned people has also started gathering Kaletra or Aluvia, that is usually used to treat AIDS and HIV. The group, headed by Andy "Brother Squirrel" Li, has since posted on Weibo about their offer to provide the HIV medication for free.
It is worth noting that global health experts have previously clarified there are no known treatments or cures that will effectively knock down the Wuhan coronavirus, which is not as deadly as SARS, but is faster in terms of spreading around the world.
Petition for WHO Chief's Resignation Gathers Over 300,000 Signatures
Meanwhile, people are calling for World Health Organization (WHO) director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to step down from his position following the delay in deciding whether the Wuhan coronavirus was a global health emergency or not.
According to CNBC, the petition, which was created on January 31, has since received over 300,000 signatures from people who believe Tedros should have declared the coronavirus crisis as a global health emergency on January 23.
The WHO has yet to officially comment on the matter.
Current Death and Infected Toll Globally
As of Friday, China revealed that there have been 636 coronavirus deaths in the mainland. There was also a confirmed death in Hong Kong, and one in the Philippines. Outside Mainland China, there are 318 infected patients, and in the mainland alone, there are 31,161 confirmed cases.
