US officials have said that there is “clear-cut” evidence that a drug can help people recover from the coronavirus. According to a clinical trial, Remdesivir cut the duration of symptoms from 15 days down to 11 at hospitals around the world.

The full details have not been published, but experts said it would be a “fantastic result” if confirmed, but warned it is not a “magic bullet” for the disease. If the drug is approved it would have the potential to save lives, ease pressure on hospitals and allow parts of lockdown to be lifted.

Remdesivir was originally developed as an Ebola treatment. It is an antiviral and works by attacking an enzyme that a virus needs in order to replicate inside our cells.