New drug study sparks hope

The experimental drug remdesivir could help speed the recovery of COVID-19 patients, the U.S. government announced on Wednesday. The biotech company Gilead and the U.S. National Institutes of Health conducted a major study on 1,063 hospitalized coronavirus patients around the world. Preliminary data indicated the drug shortened the recovery time by an average of four days and was associated with fewer deaths, said Dr. Anthony Fauci, the U.S. government’s top infectious disease expert. Officials are working to make remdesivir available to patients as quickly as possible.

Is this a light at the end of the tunnel? “What it has proven is that a drug can block this virus,” Fauci said. “This will be the standard of care.” The announcement fueled a surge in stocks around the world, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average gaining more than 530 points on Wednesday. Gilead developed remdesivir as a potential treatment for a variety of viruses. Most recently, it was tested as a treatment for Ebola, but it proved less effective than other options.

Dig deeper: Read Julie Borg’s report in Beginnings on why a vaccine is longer in coming.