Remdesivir

Remdesivir.  You've heard about it.  The drug that can fight coronavirus.  Yes, it sounds like a breakthrough.  But it's a breakthrough in the sense that the Beatles' second album was a breakthrough.  It's a positive step, but it's not the climax.  It's not a Sgt. Pepper-style moment; that would be the vaccine, which probably won't happen until some time next year (though it could happen earlier - we'll see). 

So what does Remdesivir do?  It lowers the mortality rate among COVID-19 patients - from 11 percent to 8 percent - and it also helps patients leave the hospital sooner after eleven days rather than fifteen.  Those numbers are encouraging but they could be better.  That's why Dr. Anthony Fauci has said that this is only a first step.  But it shows that there is a drug that works to some extent against this damn virus, and it could lead to effective therapeutics on the way to a vaccine.

Oh yeah, whatever progress we make between now and November, Trump should get no credit for it.  His asinine "leadership" is what got us off to a rocky start from far behind in the first place.