S Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved Gilead's antiviral drug remedy severe for treating patients hospitalized with co vid 19 making it the first and Onley drug approved for the disease in the United States.

Rammed a severe given intravenously was one of the drugs used to treat President Donald Trump, who tested positive for the respiratory disease earlier this month.

The FDA is formal.

Approval came just hours before the president's final debate with Democratic rival Joe Biden ahead of the November 3rd presidential election.

Trump's seemingly dismissive approach to the coronavirus has clouded his reelection prospects, with polls showing Americans losing confidence in his ability to handle the pandemic.

Randy Severe has been available under an FDA emergency use authorization since May after a study led by the National Institutes of Health showed it reduced hospital stays by five days.

However, the World Health Organization last week said its global trial of co vid 19 therapies found that the drug did not have a substantial effect on patients, length of hospital stay or chances of survival.

At $3120 for a five day treatment course, Randy Severe has become the standard of care for patients hospitalized with Severe Co vid 19.

Even though it has not been shown to improve survival, doctors have remained wary of using it in patients with less severe illness.