According to the leading member of Taiwan’s Central Epidemic Command Center(CECC) Chang Shan-chwen said on Thursday (March 26), three Taiwanese COVID-19 patients who are being treated with remdesivir had their fevers subside quickly after taking the medicine.
Remdesivir, an anti-viral medicine that failed as an Ebola drug, is currently under clinical trials for treating COVID-19. However, even if the medicine can help patients shorten their recovery time, still it needs to be assessed and determined, Chang said
Chang mentioned that based on a French research, the anti-malarial drug quinine can be used to shorten COVID-19 patients’ viral shedding process. Therefore, it can be administered to patients with mild symptoms and non-pneumonia patients to shorten their hospital stays.
Chang went on to add that another anti-malarial drug, hydroxychloroquine, can be effective in treating COVID-19. The government's newest guidelines for clinical treatment allow doctors to administer it based on their judgment.
Hydroxychloroquine, which is also used to treat rheumatism, will require a seven-day course of treatment for cases of COVID-19, Chang added.
Doctors must proceed with caution, as there are potential side effects, including heart arrhythmia and retinal lesions, and pregnant women should not be prescribed the drug either.
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