Covid-19: Remdesivir is not a life-saving drug, says health ministry.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has said that there is still no evidence to indicate that Remdesivir is beneficial in treating hospitalised coronavirus patients.

Blackmarketing of Remdesivir is at peak:

Remdesivir is not a lifesaver remedy for coronavirus, it’s just an antiviral drug that is still under trial. It has not yet been proved that it saves the lives of Covid patients who are in critical condition. But still, it is been sold in black market while dexamethasone is more effective than Remdesivir, and it costs just Rs 15. The actual price of Remdesivir injection is Rs. 5,400 while it is being sold between Rs. 35,000 to one lakh to the needy.

Why is Remdesivir being sold so costly? Why is it in demand? Is it so effective that it can be bought at exorbitant prices? Is it the lifesaver for a Corona patient? The answer is absolutely no. According to experts, Remdesivir is not an effective drug to eradicate corona.

Earlier, AIIMS Director Randeep Guleria, a member of the national Covid task force, said the drug was “no magic bullet”.

“It is important to understand that it is no magic bullet and it does not reduce mortality. It is used because we do not have a good antiviral drug. Remdesivir was proven useful for those in hospitals and on oxygen, it can’t be taken like a regular antibiotic,” he said.

Second wave of infections:

India, which is facing the rapid second wave of infections, today reported over 3 lakh+ coronavirus cases for the 15th straight day. Before that, it had been consistently reporting over one lakh+ daily cases.

Health infrastructures in several badly hit states are crumbling under pressure from the Covid caseloads. Severe shortages of hospital beds, medical oxygen and medicines – especially Remdesivir- have been reported across the country.

Social media is flooded with posts of the family members and friends of Covid patients requesting for help in acquiring the drug. Some reports suggest that the prices of Remdesivir have shot up on the black market.

Amid the reported demand-supply gap, the centre has banned export of the drug.

As of now, seven Indian companies are producing Remdesivir under voluntary licensing agreement with Gilead Sciences, US. They have a capacity of producing 38.80 lakh units per month.

The centre, however, has decided to ramp up production of the drug