COLUMBUS – Ohio has gotten an allotment of remdesivir, the drug that has been found to shorten the duration of COVID-19, but only enough to treat a handful of patients.
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The drug has been shown to shorten the amount of time a person suffers from the disease caused by the coronavirus from 15 to 11 days but Ohio has received only enough for about 100 patients so Department of Health director Dr. Amy Acton says it will be doled out to specific hospitals based on the percentage of patients on ventilators, an indication that they are the most severe cases.
“Ohio’s allocation is not enough to treat all patients, so we are working with medical experts to ensure distribution is based on clinical best practices,” Acton said.
Remdesivir is administered intravenously in two courses depending on the severity of disease. Patients will receive either a course of six doses over five days or a 10-day, 11-dose course.
Distribution of the drug was decided by the clinical leaders of the geographic zones that were created to help Ohio respond to the pandemic, Acton said. Central and southeastern Ohio make up Zone 2 (see illustration).
While clinical trials indicate that it has shortened the recovery time for some coronavirus patients, remdesivir is an investigational drug that has not yet been approved by the FDA as a treatment for COVID-19.
“This is not a cure, but early signs indicate that it can help in the treatment of COVID-19,” Acton said.
The state on Wednesday reported 24,245 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and an additional 1,476 probable cases with 1,483 total deaths.
Two Republican state lawmakers are launching another attempt to limit Acton’s power to issue health directives.
The legislation, introduced Wednesday by Senators Kristina Roegner (R-Hudson) and Rob McColley (R-Napoleon), includes language similar to a measure what was adopted last week by the Ohio House but appears to be dead in the Senate
Their bill would limit “stay-at-home” or “stay-safe” directives, such as those issued by Acton during the pandemic, to 14 days. Any extension would have to be approved by the Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review, a panel made up of members from both houses of the General Assembly.
The bill also would immediately end the shutdown of businesses in the state by canceling orders closing state businesses and directing Ohioans to stay at home.