Manila buys 2,000 vials of Remdesivir for city's COVID-19 patients

Manila has acquired 2,000 vials of the antiviral drug remdesivir for the treatment of active coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases, Mayor Isko Moreno announced Thursday.

Moreno said the local government purchased the vials at P6,500 each, a sharp drop from the original price of nearly P20,000, for a total of P13 million.

"Kung saka-sakali kakailanganin pa, bibili pa po tayo, mapangalagaan lang namin kayo, mapataas lang namin ang probabilidad na kapag kayo ay na-infect ng COVID-19, kayo ay mag-recover," Moreno said. 

“This is part of our continuous effort to strengthen the medical care for our mild, moderate and severe cases of COVID-19 in Manila,” he added on Twitter.

Moreno said that the drug was approved for use in six district hospitals in Manila.

The mayor reminded the public that only hospitals were allowed to use remdesivir as it is not available over the counter.

Remdesivir earlier gained popularity for its “clear cut” effect in treating COVID-19 cases. 

A top United States scientist has said that COVID-19 patients on remdesivir recovered about 30 percent faster.

Manila has logged 5,179 COVID-19 cases with 3,690 recoveries and 236 deaths as of August 7. -NB, GMA News