![]() ![]() The drugs were approved just before the holidays, which has slowed down the process by which the medications are being disseminated. This is where the timing of the FDA approval works against itself. To get either antiviral pill, they'll need to take their test results to a doctor or health care provider and get a formal prescription - they can't just ask for the drug at a pharmacy counter. Jonathan Abraham, an assistant professor of microbiology at Harvard Medical School.Ī positive COVID test is only the first hurdle that patients will face. "We'll have to be in a situation where we're really careful about how these drugs are prescribed and how they're administered, ensuring near-perfect compliance so that they work most effectively and don't induce resistance," said Dr. RED PILL NEWS FULLSome infectious disease experts are worried that if people don't take the full course, it could lead to new and potentially more dangerous variants of COVID. Molnupiravir works by introducing mistakes into COVID-19's genetic code, causing the virus to churn out faulty copies and eventually run itself into the ground. There are other concerns beyond the fact that the drugs won't work if the regimen isn't fully carried out. They really have to be encouraged to do that and reinforced and have it explained to them." "At least three pills twice a day for five days - I can tell you not everybody will do that. You've got to take it all the way through," Schaffner said. "People really have to be told, you can't stop at day three and expect any benefit. Folks prescribed molnupiravir will need to take four capsules twice a day. People taking Paxlovid will need to take three tablets at the same time, twice a day. It may take a few days for that test to come back - all the more reason for you to get tested as quickly as possible," Schaffner said.īoth antivirals require a five-day course of treatment. "Testing is not universally and quickly available. Unfortunately, the United States is in the midst of a shortage of COVID tests caused by the sudden surge in Omicron infections. That means people should "run, not walk, to get tested" if they develop any of these symptoms, Schaffner said: People infected with COVID will need to start taking either antiviral pill within five days of their first symptoms for the drugs to have any hope of quelling their illness. How soon should they start taking the pills? ![]() "It's a serious prescription of a medication, and the health care professionals need to do some screening and education." "It's not like going to a machine, putting in a quarter and getting out a candy bar," Schaffner said. Both drugs can interact with other medications a person is taking.Paxlovid isn't recommended for patients with severe kidney or liver problems.Men taking the drug are advised to use birth control for at least three months after the last dose, as the effect on sperm is not fully understood. Molnupiravir can't be prescribed to pregnant women because it carries a risk of birth defects.Paxlovid can be prescribed to kids 12 and older but molnupiravir can't, because of concerns that it might interfere with bone growth.However, both pills come with a complex list of health concerns that limit the patients to whom they can be prescribed: "The overarching theme is those people who are more likely to get severe disease that lands them into the hospital," Schaffner said. They're approved for people with mild or moderate COVID who are more likely to become seriously ill - mainly those 65 and older or folks who have chronic illnesses like heart disease, lung disease, diabetes, obesity or compromised immune systems. Pfizer's pill, Paxlovid, and Merck's molnupiravir won't be handed out to everyone who tests positive for COVID. Which COVID patients will be prescribed these pills? It's not like waving a magic wand, and there's been a bit of that in the hype, in the excitement through the media." "But I come down to the real world and say we've got to do this right. William Schaffner, medical director of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases. "Yes, these antivirals are a big advance and, yes, I'm excited about them," said Dr. Food and Drug Administration should give doctors an easier means of keeping people out of the hospital.īut the initial hype is giving way to reality, as doctors and public health officials grapple with the challenges of getting the Pfizer and Merck antiviral pills into the hands of those who need them most. 29, 2021 (HealthDay News) - New antiviral pills for COVID-19 recently authorized for emergency use in high-risk people by the U.S. ![]()
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