And so, another working week will soon draw to a close. Not a moment too soon, yes? This is, you may recall, our treasured signal to daydream about weekend plans. Our agenda, once again, is rather modest. We plan to catch up on some reading, promenade with our official mascot, and hang around with a short person or two. And what about you? This remains a fine time to forage for apples and pumpkins. You could shop for a Halloween costume (feel free to write us for suggestions). You might want to mail your ballot, but make sure the ballot box is kosher. Or you could look in on someone feeling isolated. Well, whatever you do, have a grand time. But be safe — wear a mask. Enjoy, and see you soon. …
A World Health Organization study of more than 11,000 people in 30 countries concluded that remdesivir appeared to have little or no effect on 28-day mortality or length of hospital stays among Covid-19 patients, The New York Times writes. The data have not yet been peer-reviewed or published in a scientific journal. Gilead Sciences (GILD), which sells the drug, disputed the conclusions, noting that a variety of drugs and drug combinations had been evaluated under a wide range of circumstances and that more rigorous studies had found a benefit.
Meanwhile, an independent statistician hired by the WHO to scrutinize the Solidarity trial data maintained the results are reliable, Reuters notes. “It’s a reliable result, don’t let anybody tell you otherwise, because they’ll try to,” says Richard Peto, a professor of medical statistics and epidemiology at the University of Oxford. “This is real world evidence.” The WHO refrained from making a recommendation for how countries should deploy remdesivir, saying that guidance would come in two or three weeks after a review of Solidarity data.
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