Antiviral drug remdesivir will soon be tested on children with COVID-19

Remdesivir has emerged as a potentially effective treatment against COVID-19. It showed positive results in treating adults who have the illness.

Now, researchers want to see how well it works with children.

The drug’s maker, Gilead Sciences, said it’s starting advanced trials in 50 pediatric patients in the United States and Europe.

The children — from newborns to adolescents — will have moderate to severe cases of the illness.

The goal is to determine whether the drug is safe and how well it could work in treating kids.

Remdesivir is the only drug to receive emergency approval in the U.S. for treating coronavirus infections.

Previous studies showed it can speed up the recovery time of adult patients.

Children seem to be much less affected by COVID-19 than adults, but doctors and researchers still have a lot to learn about the disease.

Watch: First local COVID-19 patient treated with Remdesivir released from hospital Watch: First local COVID-19 patient treated with Remdesivir released from hospital

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