Health minister reveals drug Nigeria is using to manage COVID-19 patients  

Nigeria health minister Osagie Ehanire on Tuesday said Nigeria has started using remdesivir, an anti-retroviral drug, in managing COVID-19 patients.

“We have been using that (remdesivir); we have tried that in Lagos too,” Ehanire said while addressing members of the House of Representatives.

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

The minister said the drug, originally developed as a potential treatment for Ebola, is one of the options which Nigeria has adopted in treating COVID-19 patients.

Remdesivir, produced by Gilead pharmaceutical company, only interferes with the virus’s genome, disrupting its ability to replicate.

A recent clinical trial showed the drug helped shorten the recovery time for people who were seriously ill, BBC reported.

-Guardian.ng