Trump is being treated with remdesivir for COVID-19 at Walter Reed. What is the drug?

Doctors are treating President Donald Trump, who was hospitalized Friday night with COVID-19, using an experimental drug known as remdesivir.

Sean Conley, Trump’s physician, announced Friday night that the president had. not required supplemental oxygen but had started remdesivir therapy at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Washington, D.C.

Remdesivir, an antiviral drug, has shown modest benefits for some people with COVID-19, The Washington Post reported. It has reduced their hospital stays from 15 days to 11 days, but hasn’t been shown to reduce the odds of dying from the virus.

The Trump administration issued an emergency use authorization for remdesivir earlier this year, The Hill reported.

Trump, 74, was taken to Walter Reed on Friday evening, about 17½ hours after he announced on Twitter that he and first lady Melania Trump had tested positive for the coronavirus.

Several others in close contact with the president, including his campaign chief and the head of the Republican National Committee, also have tested positive.

Trump developed a fever and cough while being treated at the White House residence Friday and was moved to Walter Reed hospital by helicopter “out of an abundance of caution,” press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said at the time.

“I think I’m doing very well, but we’re going to make sure that things work out,” Trump said in a video statement posted to Twitter before departing for the hospital at 6:15 p.m.

He walked to and from the U.S. Marine Corps helicopter on the trip while wearing a face mask. Trump took no questions.

By then, White House officials had “serious concerns” about Trump’s condition, Jim Acosta of CNN reported Friday on Twitter.

At 11:31 p.m. Friday, Trump posted a message reading, “Going welI, I think! Thank you to all. LOVE!!!” to Twitter

More than 34 million cases of the COVID-19 virus have been confirmed worldwide with more than 1 million deaths as of Oct. 2, according to Johns Hopkins University.

The United States has more than 7.3 million confirmed cases with more than 208,000 deaths.