COVID Treatment Available in Michigan Recalled For Bizarre Issue

Unfortunately, COVID-19 never completely went away, though thankfully it's far more under control thanks to vaccines and available medication for those who do contract the virus.

While there are multiple contributing factors, it's not overly surprising to see a national resurgence in COVID-19 cases. Most recent cases were actually reported during the summer and now appear to be on the decline, which is good news overall.

However, anyone who was recently diagnosed with COVID-19 may want to take note of their medications after an FDA recall was issued this week for a specific drug available in Michigan.

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According to the FDA via Newsweek, a recall was voluntarily issued by Gilead Sciences, Inc. for its antiviral drug Veklury, or Remdesivir, after glass particles were discovered in the vials of medication.

Naturally, this is a huge health concern as Veklury is used to treat COVID-19, which attacks the respiratory system, and a contaminated vial could inject incredibly harmful materials into your bloodstream, giving an already weakened organ system further complications.

According to Gilead, the primary risk of using a contaminated vial of Veklury includes local irritation or swelling, and can also travel through blood vessels to various organs, causing blockages that can be life-threatening. So far, Gilead has not received a report of any adverse effects from the use of the affected vials.

The contaminated lot was shipped nationwide beginning on July 16, 2024. The lot number is #47035CFA.

Thankfully, here in Michigan COVID stats are currently down and the threat is a bit lower than in other places due to lower levels of wastewater, which has been a leading cause of the recent spike in COVID cases in many states.

Anyone who has an adverse reaction to using a potentially contaminated vial of Veklury can report it to the FDA's MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting Program. Otherwise, patients with concerns about their COVID-19 treatment options should consult their personal healthcare providers.