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KING’S ‘WONDER’ DRUG IN DEMAND

04/05/2021 08:12:00 BY PHUMELELE MKHONTA

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MBABANE – The King’s ‘wonder’ drug has become the most sought after COVID-19 drug in the world.

On February 19, 2021 during the opening of the 3rd Session of the 11th Parliament in the country, His Majesty King Mswati III opened up about his COVID-19 status and raved about a ‘wonder drug’ which helped him recover from the disease. According to investigations done by our sister publication, the Eswatini News, the ‘wonder’ drug that His Majesty was referring to was the remdesivir drug. The spike of COVID-19 cases and deaths in India has raised demand of Remdesivir, barely three months after the King raved and commended the ‘wonder drug’s efficacy.

Remdesivir is an intravenous drug which has demonstrated to inactivate the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) virus. Currently, it is used in some countries, including Eswatini, to treat adult patients with COVID-19. The demand of remdesivir has skyrocketed in India and countries around the globe are sharing the drug with India. Currently, India has an average COVID-19 daily infection of 373 193 and an average death rate of 3 405. In total, there have been 19.9 million COVID-19 cases and 219 000 deaths in India. The increase in cases in that country (India) started at the beginning of April 2021. Before the spike in cases, India, through the Serum Institute of India (SII), was the main supplier for the Oxford AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine and the Government of India donated 20 000 of the said vaccines to Eswatini.

Donating

Currently, India has halted all its COVID-19 vaccines exportation and countries are donating Remdesivir to that country as it is reeling from the COVID-19 scourge. Countries, including the United States of America, Bangladesh and Russia, have offered their Remdesivir to India. Recently, the United States made headlines in international media houses after donating 450 000 vials of Remdesivir to India. The reports said more countries were coming to the party, donating their share. The demand of the COVID-19 drug has increased in India such that opportunists are producing a fake drug. Also, healthcare workers have been arrested in India for selling the drug in the black market.

In the meantime, the Ministry of Health resorted to using the Remdesivir after the King complimented its effectiveness. It is the King’s revelation that drove the ministry to embark on its own research and finally resort to using it for the country’s COVID-19 patients.