PA Department of Health distributes second shipment of drug to help treat COVID-19 patients in hospitals

The Pennsylvania Department of Health on Friday distributed the second shipment of the investigational antiviral medication, remdesivir, to treat patients in the hospital with COVID-19. Yesterday, 1,548 doses of medication were sent to 21 hospitals, including St. Luke’s Hospital - Anderson Campus and St. Luke’s Hospital - Allentown, and a second shipment of 6,390 doses will be distributed to 58 hospitals on Monday. The medication was sent to the department by the federal government.

The Department of Health first distributed 1,200 doses of the medication to 51 hospitals across Pennsylvania on Tuesday, May 12. The hospitals that have received these shipments were determined based on the number of COVID-19 patients at the hospital over a recent seven-day period, and the severity of the illness of those patients based on whether they are on a ventilator. The department will continue to work with federal partners to acquire more doses of this medication to serve more patients across Pennsylvania.

Remdesivir is given to a patient through an IV once per day for up to 10 days, depending on how critically ill the patient is. According to the FDA, remdesivir may help decrease the amount of coronavirus in your body, which may help you get better faster.