According to a new study, remdesivir, an intravenous drug usually administered in seriously ill COVID-19 patients in hospitals, could keep unvaccinated people infected with COVID-19 out of the hospital if given on an outpatient basis.

A total of 562 unvaccinated individuals were assessed between September 2020 and April 2021. It was noted that the risk of hospital admission or death was 87% lower in those who were given remdesivir compared to the participants who were given a placebo. All the study participants had a high risk of developing severe COVID-19 either on account of their age (aged above 60 years) or because of an underlying health issue, like diabetes or obesity. However, the findings are based on data obtained before the Delta variant increased last summer or the Omicron variant increased this year.

The findings are published in the New England Journal of Medicine… (Medscape)