Top Doc: Nebraska Has Plenty of Promising COVID-19 Drug

June 4, 2020, 2 p.m. ·

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Nebraska Chief Medical Officer Dr. Gary Anthone. (Photo by Fred Knapp, NET News)

Nebraska has used about 60% if its supply of a promising COVID-19 drug that seems to shorten the length of the disease. The state has received four shipments and more than 2,300 vials of remdesivir, an anti-viral drug that’s been donated by the company that makes it. Typically, six vials are used for each patient and 385 COVID-19 patients have been treated with the drug. Gary Anthone is the state’s chief medical officer and says there hasn’t been a shortage of remdesivir so far.

“Up to this point we have not had any mention of any of the hospitals saying that we need it and we can’t get it,” Anthone said. “Up to this point we’ve had very good luck with getting it out to the hospitals and to the patients where the specific doctors in those hospitals then decide when to use it.”

Anthone says doctors are also using the drug earlier in COVID-19 cases to see if it can have an even more positive effect on recovery. He says overall, the state’s health system will be far more ready if there’s another surge in the fall.

“We have learned a ton about how to approach that,” Anthone said. “Our knowledge and specifically the hospitals and the providers that taken part in this effort have learned so much that that is undoubtedly going to help if that second surge does come about.”

Anthone says COVID-19 cases seem to have plateaued or are falling in most of the state except for Douglas County, where cases have increased over the last few weeks.