Fact Check: Old video of WHO advisory on Remdesivir being circulated

New Delhi, May 17: With the number of COVID-19 cases going up and Remdesivir being recommended for severe cases, a video is doing the rounds claiming that the World Health Organisation has removed the drug from the drug list.

Now a video is being circulated stating that Remdesivir has been removed from the drug list by WHO.

However this is an old video, the WHO had said in 2020 that there was no evidence to show that this is a life saving drug.

"The panel found a lack of evidence that remdesivir improved outcomes that matter to patients such as reduced mortality, need for mechanical ventilation, time to clinical improvement, and others," Xinhua news agency quoted the WHO's Guideline Development Group (GDG) panel as saying in a statement.

"Any beneficial effects of Remdesivir, if they do exist, are likely to be small and the possibility of important harm remains," a WHO panel said.

"Especially given the costs and resource implications associated with remdesivir... The panel felt the responsibility should be on demonstrating evidence of efficacy, which is not established by the currently available data," the panel had said.