The experimental antiviral drug remdesivir is currently being tested in clinical trials to see if it's effective in treating COVID-19 patients through inhaled delivery rather than intravenously. Gilead Sciences, the manufacturer of the drug that has shown some success in treating respiratory problems in coronavirus patients, will conduct the trial of 60 adults to assess its effectiveness outside hospital settings. That would be a blessing for patients who could then receive treatment while staying home.

According to The Independent, Gilead's chief medical officer Merdad Parsey issued a statement Wednesday that said: "Based on current scientific understanding, the upper respiratory tract is the most prevalent site of the COVID-19 infection early in the disease."

The physician added that delivering the drug directly to the lungs using an inhaled solution could prove beneficial and more accessible for patients who aren't hospitalized.

If the clinical trial yields positive results, the drug could be used in outpatient services and doctor's offices, she said.

In May, Remdesivir was granted an Emergency Use Authorization to treat severely ill patients by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It's administered intravenously to those patients who are hospitalized, but the new clinical trial will see if delivering the drug through a nebulizer into the lungs will be effective.

So far, studies have shown that patients who are given the drug recover four days faster than those given a placebo. Currently, the FDA hasn't formally approved any drugs for the treatment of COVID-19.