Not a cure but reduced the death rate of the trial sample from approximately 11% (for patients on the placebo) to 8% (of those on the drug) and speeded recovery from 15 days to 11. (They didn't provide a figure for the non-placebo death rate, but the placebo effect may not be operative for this virus).
These numbers are the result of a trial of more than a thousand people and so are statistically significant and not anecdotal/tentative. Dr Fauci is on board although there are further steps to go in its review (eg perhaps unanticipated deferred side-effects?).
I am not sure which patients participated. Were these very sick patients to begin with? Only those who were hospitalised? Might the drug be even more effective if given to patients before hospitalisation?
What we can see is good news in at least two ways. The obvious one is the effects on the types of patients in the trial. The less obvious one is the reduced burden on healthcare systems as a result of free beds and fewer sick staff.
http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1275684/remdesivir-anti-viral-drug-coronavirus-news-covid-19-cure-gilead-anthony-fauci-usa
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