How Long Should People with Severe COVID-19 Be Treated with Remdesivir?

In a randomized trial, 5 days was as good as 10 days.

Preliminary trial results recently showed that 10 days of remdesivir improved time to recovery in people with severe COVID-19 (NEJM JW Infect Dis Jul 2020 and N Engl J Med 2020 May 22; [e-pub]). Now, in a manufacturer-sponsored, open-label, multicenter trial, 5 days and 10 days of remdesivir have been compared in people with severe COVID-19. A total of 397 people who had an oxygen saturation of ≤94% on ambient air or supplemental oxygen and had radiographic evidence of pneumonia were randomized to receive 5 or 10 days of remdesivir. Patients receiving mechanical ventilation or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) were excluded (although a few such individuals enrolled nevertheless).

At baseline, the 10-day treatment group had greater d…

Reviewing Author

Rajesh T. Gandhi, MD

Disclosures

Grant/Research SupportNIH

Editorial BoardsUpToDate; ID Images (idimages.org); Infectious Diseases Society of America COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines; International Antiviral Society–USA (Guidelines Committee)

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesHIV Medicine Association; Infectious Diseases Society of America (Board of Directors)

Rajesh T. Gandhi, MD

Disclosures

Grant/Research SupportNIH

Editorial BoardsUpToDate; ID Images (idimages.org); Infectious Diseases Society of America COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines; International Antiviral Society–USA (Guidelines Committee)

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesHIV Medicine Association; Infectious Diseases Society of America (Board of Directors)

How Long Should People with Severe COVID-19 Be Treated with Remdesivir?

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Reviewing Author