A TPM reader who is a physician and on a medical school faculty is watching the Trump’s ongoing press conference at the White House:
Today’s presser is unbelievable. I am an MD and member of our hospital executive administration in the thick of Covid preparation.
Remdesivir is currently an infusion drug only- meaning you have to be in a hospital hooked to an IV. The ongoing clinical trials are all in hospitalized patients.
The enrolled patients are those with evidence of lung disease, meaning that some damage is already present. There is no way that the infusion will ever be a practical solution for the vast majority of infected patients (not in hospitals).
There is an oral preparation, but it is only now being tried in Phase 1 studies, meaning being determined if it is even safe for human consumption?
I certainly hope that they do not rush the oral drug to market without even knowing if it is safe. Think Thalidomide, COX inhibitors, Gepants.
We are at least a year away from effective treatment, unless some miracle cure in existing drugs is identified.
I know people are scared, but there was a lot of false hope today….
Best solution is prevention, aggressive public health measures, handwashing, physical distancing.Be safe.
