Fair Oaks Coronavirus Survivor Says Remdesivir Helped Save His Life
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — The federal government is touting the drug remdesivir as a possible treatment for coronavirus and one Fair Oaks man says the drug helped to save his life.
"Whether it was the prayers or the remdesivir, or a combination of both," coronavirus survivor Darin Vigil said.
At the end of February, Darin and his wife Sonia returned home from their trip to Egypt by way of New York City and Darin quickly got really sick.
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A pneumonia diagnosis landed him at Mercy San Juan Medical Center where he tested positive for coronavirus. He was then placed on a ventilator for two weeks.
But his Sonia, a nurse, wasn't going to give up on her husband.
"From reading about the remdesivir, I actually was aware that it was in clinical trials," Sonia said.
Remdesivir was originally designed to treat Ebola, but now doctors are repurposing it, hoping that its antiviral capabilities can help COVID-19 patients.
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A UC Davis study using remdesivir showed almost 70% of the patients they treated had improved oxygen levels after 18 days.
So, Sonia began pushing doctors to start her husband on the drug, and days later, Darin finally started to get better.
Though remdesivir may have played a part in Darin's recovery, it is not foolproof and has not yet been approved by the federal government.
