Use of remdesivir in the presence of elevated LFTs for the treatment of severe COVID-19 infection

An 82-year-old man with an extensive medical history presented to the emergency room with complaints of generalised weakness and cough. He tested positive for COVID-19 10 days prior to presenting to the emergency room. Although his symptoms started a week prior to diagnosis, his weakness increased, warranting emergency response. A comprehensive metabolic panel was drawn from the patient on admission, indicating markedly high liver function tests (LFTs) >= 20 times above the upper limit of normal. On day 1 of admission, the decision was still made to start remdesivir (5-day course) due to decompensated acute respiratory failure as well as dexamethasone. The patient's LFTs significantly improved throughout his hospital stay. The patient made a full recovery and was discharged on day 10 of hospitalisation.