In a report published Friday, researchers from biopharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences said that COVID-19 patients receiving its antiviral drug remdesivir experienced lower mortality rates and better recovery times compared to those not getting the treatment.
The researchers compared 312 people hospitalized for COVID-19 and who received remdesivir to 818 people with similarly severe cases who were treated with standard of care, but did not need mechanical ventilation to breathe. Compared to the people in the latter group, those getting remdesivir showed a 62% lower risk of mortality during the study period. Furthermore, about 75% of patients receiving remdesivir recovered by day 14 after hospitalization, compared to 59% of those not getting the drug.
