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Remnicivir, a Corona 19 treatment, is also supplied to Korea. It is scheduled to be administered to severely ill patients who need oxygen breathing therapy. It is expected that the domestic mortality rate of Corona 19 will be reduced and the hospitalization period will be reduced.

Cho Dong-chan is a medical journalist.

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Seoul National University Hospital Infection Quarantine Ward.

A medical staff in level D protective clothing enters a negative pressure room with a sap bag of remedyvir medicine.

[Seoul National University Hospital negative pressure isolation ward nurse: First, measure the patient's vital signs and intravenously administer this drug at a rate of 30 minutes to 1 hour using a machine to administer the drug.]

Remedyvir As a patient within 10 days, pneumonia is confirmed on X-ray or CT, and oxygen saturation is 94% or less, requiring oxygen treatment.

This is because Lemdesivir has no effect on mild patients and, even in severe cases, does not have a virus-suppressing effect 10 days after the onset of symptoms.

In Korea, it is administered directly to 33 serious patients.

[Jung Eun-Kyung/Disease Management Division: Shortening the treatment period and statistically unclear, but expecting to reduce the mortality rate.]

5-day dosing is the principle, but depending on the judgment of the doctor, it can be administered for an additional 5 days. There is.

Corona 19 is designated as an infectious disease for the public health crisis.

It is still unclear how long the Korean government will receive this drug from pharmaceutical companies, because once this month we decided to get it for free, but after August, we have to negotiate with pharmaceutical company Gilliard to decide.

In the United States, it was priced at about 3.75 million won for 5 days of treatment. In the case of Korea, where the country pays for medicine, it is likely to be supplied at a cheaper price by convention.

(Video coverage: Kim Heung-sik, Video editing: Lee Seung-yeol)