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Comment by icedchai | Hacker News Reader

Sometimes the cure can be worse than the disease. What if there can be long term side effects? Now you have at least two problems...

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The Wikipedia article linked notes that previous trials for this drug against Ebola (which were not as successful as other treatments) had established a "safety profile." Hopefully that applies to its use here as well.

Well you aren't wrong but if the person is at death's door and this has been used in several cases already for other viruses (and China is rushing it on 1000 people?!) why not?

Because China using it on 1000 people shouldn’t be evidence enough for widespread use yet. They’re highly motivated to make this go away seeing as they’re largely blamed for its genesis. We can’t forget that they have a very different view on humane treatment of people than what’s currently accepted in the west (i.e. the Chinese Uighur concentration camps that currently exist.)

"than what’s currently accepted in the west" for western citizens, IFTFY

Yeah, if there were no other viable options, I'd try it. But I'm not the government or a doctor... what do I know.

Doctors are using it. From a story published last week:

> While awaiting these results, doctors in the US, China and Italy are already using remdesivir on a compassionate basis to treat small numbers of patients with severe Covid-19.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/10/hopes-rise-ove...

> on a compassionate basis

Is this medical speak? What do they mean by that.

Something like "Some threshold of official approval/proven safety has not been met, but we'll break the rule this time and give it to them anyway since they're very sick and we don't have any other options."

It refers to a special kind of use for medication that is not approved.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expanded_access

It means that the FDA will make an exception for unapproved drugs if the other option is to just let the person die or suffer needlessly. For example, it is usually used in cases where the patient will die anyways and they need something to keep them comfortable. (palliative care) This is how a lot of cancer patients got exceptions for marijuana use before medical legalization.

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