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[–]Ardeet[S] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Well this is a puzzling story.

We keep getting told "listen to the experts" yet:

The peak body of immunologists and allergists, the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy, wrote to Health Minister Greg Hunt and then-Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy in May last year urging them to buy up Tocilizumab because of the likelihood of a worldwide shortage.

...

However, Mr Hunt wrote back to the society a month later saying the jury was still out on the effectiveness of drugs such as Tocilizumab in treating COVID-19 and that the government did not need to rush to procure the drug.

And we keep getting told that safe and existing drugs can't be used for Covid without extensive and onerous trials yet a drug that is still covered by profitable patents:

The drug Tocilizumab, which is marketed as Actemra, was originally developed to treat sufferers of conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, but has shown to be effective in treating people in the severe stages of COVID-19.

Ultimately though we know it's true science and robust journalism because there is an anecdote:

Three-year-old Elias Maher takes Tocilizumab to treat his juvenile arthritis.

Initially he was on steroids to treat his condition.

Never fear, our diligent bureaucrats are getting right on it:

The TGA said: "The Department of Health is working closely with the sponsor of Tocilizumab (Actemra) to monitor and respond to the evolving global supply situation."

"But weren't they the problem at the start of the story ...?"

"Shut up citizen. Go back to sleep."