III.Reading.(2x3=6)GileadSciencesisreportingsomepreliminaryresultsfromtheuseofitsantiviraldrugremdesivirintreatingpatientswithCOVID-19.Thestudy,publishedFridaybytheNewEnglandJournalofMedicine,evaluatedtheresponseof53patientsgivenremdesivironacompassionateusebasis.Thirty-sixshowedclinicalimprovement,whileeightgotworse.Patientswhowerenotonaventilatortendedtodobetterthanthosewhowere.Sevenofthe53died.Allwereinseriousconditionandneededsomekindofoxygensupport,includingmechanicalventilation.ThepatientsreceivedthedrugbetweenJan.25andMarch7ofthisyear.Halfthepatientswerefollowedfor18daysorless.Thepatientswerestudiedinhospitalsaroundtheworld:22intheUnitedStates,22inEuropeorCanadaand9inJapan.Morethanhalfthepatientsinthestudyexperiencedsideeffectfromthedrug,rangingfromarashanddiarrheatoacutekidneyinjury.Astheauthorsnote,severalfactorsmakeithardtointerprettheresultsonthestudy.Thesmallnumberofpatients,therelativelyshortdurationofthefollow-upandthelackofacontrolgroup—peoplewhoreceivedaplaceboinsteadoftheactivedrug.Severallargecontrolledstudiesareunderwaythatcouldprovidemoredefinitiveevidenceofwhetherthedrugisusefulornot,andunderwhatcircumstances.11.Whatisremdesivir?