Remdesivir could not initially be sourced by the hospital, but the state health department procured and supplied the drug, sources said. ADVERTISEMENTSamples of the two nurses, sent to the National Institute of Virology in Pune, tested positive for Nipah, state government officials confirmed on Tuesday. “Remdesivir has been used for Nipah virus on a compassionate-use basis, particularly during outbreaks in Kerala,” an official said. Experts said that there is no proven anti-viral treatment for Nipah virus infection, although some drugs have been tried during earlier outbreaks. Favipiravir, currently unavailable, is an anti-viral drug developed in Japan and primarily approved for treating influenza.

Source: The Telegraph January 14, 2026 01:30 UTC