Influenza drug from Japan effective against Covid-19 according to Chinese authorities

A flu drug named favipiravir, developed by a subsidiary of the Japanese company Fujifilm, appears to be effective as a treatment for the coronavirus. According to Zhang Xinmin, an official from the Chinese science and technology ministry, “It has a high degree of safety and is clearly effective in treatment". The drug has been tested in clinical trials ni Wuhan and Shenzhen. In total 340 patients have been treated with it and on average been tested negative for the virus only four days after being tested positive. In addition, the lung condition of 91% of the patients had improved. This is 29% higher than for patients without the flu drug.