How intensive care physicians treat critically ill COVID-19 patients has come a long way since Canada treated its first patient in hospital last January.

Health Canada has authorized the use of the drug remdesivir to treat people with severe COVID-19 symptoms.

Canada must do more to ensure it has access to the drugs, including any potential vaccine, needed in the battle against COVID-19, says Joel Lexchin of York University.

The Department of Health and Human Services said Trump has secured 500,000 treatments of the drug through September, representing 100 per cent of Gilead’s July production capacity and 90 per cent of its capacity in August and September.

The Department of Health and Human Services has secured more than 500,000 treatment courses of the drug from its sole manufacturer Gilead for American hospitals through September.

The amount that patients pay out of pocket depends on insurance, income and other factors.

Researchers have been given the green light to launch Canada’s first clinical trial into whether the antiviral drug can help fight COVID-19 outbreaks in long-term care homes.

An emergency use authorization by the FDA is not the same as drug approval.

At present, COVID-19 is a disease with no approved treatments or vaccines.

Anthony Fauci tells NBC's Today show Thursday that he anticipates the go-ahead for the emergency use of Remdesivir to happen "really quickly."