As the spread of coronavirus increases exponentially throughout the world with no end in sight, some health experts have been able to provide solid evidence of the efficacy of an anti-viral drug Remdesivir in treating almost all of the symptoms of the disease. It has shown remarkable effects in many patients who have been struggling to cope with the deleterious effects of the disease. This drug has the potential to behave as a nucleotide analog wherein it incorporates itself into the newly synthesising genome of the virus and stops further replication. The mechanism of action of this drug are similar to the various antimalarial drugs such as chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine which have played an important role in helping healthcare workers treat patients exhibiting various symptoms of the disease.
The pandemic has brought all lives to a standstill. Not only that, the new normal that the global population has to get accustomed to consists of new social distancing norms, facemarks and an increased use of sanitisers to prevent the spread of the virus. In the face of such a public health crisis, American President Donald Trump has called the Global pandemic “a hoax”,floated the idea of a disinfectant injection in an attempt to disinfect themselves internally, threatened to cut all ties between the US and the World Health Organisation and the best part, claimed that the COVID19 virus will vanish “very soon”. Moreover, he has also been conducting rallies for his re-election campaign with no measures being taken to protect the attendees, encouraged public health officials to slow down testing and lauded the discovery of a nonexistent HIV/AIDS vaccine in the middle of the biggest public health crisis. The Trump Administration has shown extreme complacency and total disregard for human lives as they scramble to deal with a pandemic, whose warning signs they clearly ignored.
As the coronavirus cases in the US increase exponentially, the Trump Administration, sticking to their “America First” policy have scooped up all of the stock of the anti-viral drug Remdesivir. Countries with more flexible regulations in the pharmaceutical industry might be able to come up with analogs to this drug but low production countries with stringent regulations like most European countries cannot buy or produce these analogs or procure Remdesivir for 3 months. With no new information coming to light about a possible vaccine, this drug seems to be only hope of mitigating the effects of the disease. Even in the countries where the analogs to Remdesivir can be produced, its efficacy when compared to the actual drug is questionable, at best. This kind of behaviour garners increasing frustration from governments of low and middle income countries who cannot afford to get into a bidding war against their European counterparts and the US. Moreover, it also highlights the way medicines and essential vaccines have always worked — they go to the government which can pay the highest price regardless of the cooperation of other countries in the development and testing process.
As the world awaits the development of a COVID19 vaccine, there is increased rhetoric about sharing of COVID19 research for global benefit and solidarity in the face of such uncertainty. But unfortunately, that is all it is, rhetoric. In the real world, money matters. As a businessman, Trump understands that, and unfortunately pandemic situations are no different from business transactions. Currently, the number of coronavirus cases in India stand at 7lakhs with no peak in sight. As the healthcare system continues to crumble under the pandemic, the buying up of all stock of the most potent and efficient drug by the US goes to show that the idea of humanitarian aid and solidarity is all just talk. Moreover, what the US government fails to understand that is that in the event of a global pandemic, a global unified approach is the only viable path ahead to prevent a second wave of infections.
We have no other choice but to wait and watch as the US government continues to monopolize the stocks of the most efficient treatment and hope that our country is fast enough to find alternates which have the same effect against the virus.
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