Remdesivir medicine arrives in Vietnam

Vietnam has received the first batch of Remdesivir medicine which will be used to treat seriously ill Covid-19 patients.

Vietnam has received the first batch of Remdesivir medicine which will be used to treat seriously ill Covid-19 patients.

  

Remdesivir medicine

50,000 Remdesivir bottles arrived at Tan Son Nhat Aiport in HCM City on August 5. This is the first part of 500,000 bottles donated to Vietnam. Remdesivir is produced by Indian firms under the agreement with US-based Gilead Sciences.

Luong Ngoc Khue, head of the Health Ministry's Department of Medical Examination and Treatment, said the ministry will hold a meeting to add the medicine into the treatment regime within August 6. Deputy Minister Nguyen Truong Son said the medicine will be allocated to provinces and cities with Covid-19 outbreaks.

The Ministry of Health advised against buying and using Remdesivir without doctors' prescription and guidance.

Remdesivir is being used in over 50 countries including the US, Australia, Singapore and the EU to treat Covid-19 patients. A test with 1,063 patients started on February 21 showed that patients who used Remdesivir recovered 31% faster than other patients. Patients who used Remdesivir recovered in 11 days while other patients recovered in 15 days.

The fatality rate is 8% among Remdesivir users and 11.6% among other patients.