COVID-19: Nigeria Govt Reveals Drug Coronavirus Patients Are Treated With

The Federal Government on Tuesday disclosed that it had begun using remdesivir, an anti-retroviral drug, in managing COVID-19 patients.

Osagie Ehanire, minister of health, disclosed this when he spoke at the house of representatives.

Addressing members of the lower chamber, Ehanire said the drug had been administered to patients in Lagos state.

He, however, did not disclose if the drug is effective or not. the outcome of the treatment.

“We have been using that (remdesivir); we have tried that in Lagos too,” he said.

“So, we have tried the antiretroviral drug to see what effect it has.”

Also read: Nigeria Records 245 New Cases As COVID-19 Toll Hits 2802

The minister said the was one of the options which Nigeria has deployed in treating COVID-19 patients.

The drug was originally developed as a potential treatment for Ebola.

The minister said no herbal medicine has so far been approved for the disease.

150 patients had reportedly recovered after being treated with the experimental anti-retroviral drug.

Gilead Sciences, the pharmaceutical company that developed the drug, said it was found to be effective on the patients during the trial which began in February.

But it added that the optimal duration of treatment is still being studied in ongoing clinical trials.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the use of the drug for hospitalised COVID-19 patients.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has not approved any drug or vaccine for COVID-19.

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