Coronavirus drug Remdesivir in North Alabama

Coronavirus drug Remdesivir in North Alabama

Back.

New information -- people across the world are waiting to learn about potential vaccines or other treatments for coronavirus.

Waay 31's sydney martin is live at huntsville hospital this afternoon after learning the hospital received more of remdesivir- the anti-viral medication which has been approved for emergency use in the u-s to fight coronavirus.

Huntsville hosptial c-e-o david spillers said today- the amount of remedesivir the hospital requested from the alabama department of public health yesterday- was delivered by courier this morning.

Spillers said the drug is being used on the most critically ill patients.

He said with a low number of inpatients here in madison county they didn't have any trouble getting there requested amount however, he said other counties who have 20-30 inpatients might have had more trouble getting remedesivir from the state.

"there's a shortage.

At this point, i think the clinical decision about when the drugs needed and when it's not needed should be made by the physicians who are working on the patients."

Spillers also said today they did about 15 hundred elective procedures last week at huntsville hospital.

Right now, the hospital is working to get caught up on the procedures that had to be canceled during the stay at home order.

A couple hundred of those patients were tested for coronavirus before they could have their operation spillers said it depends on what procedure you are there for on if you get tested or not.

Spillers said of all the people tested for elective surgery only one person who was asymptomatic tested positive for coronavirus.

And overall there were no problems and it was a successful first week back of surgery.

Live in huntsville sm waay 31 news