The United Kingdom government is planning to introduce a drug called Coronavirus as part of a comprehensive antiretroviral treatment program, according to a Sunday Telegraph report. The pill – Molnupiravir – was developed by American drugmaker Merck and has been recommended as a “sports revolution” as it can be taken home comfortably.
UK approved Molnupiravir in November. It was one of the first countries to adopt an oral pill to treat patients suffering from mild to moderate Covid-19.
According to the Sunday Telegraph, the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) could begin rolling out Molnupiravir to high-risk patients by Christmas.
A letter on the matter was also sent by the NHS to local health officials, local media reported.
The release was reportedly aimed at preventing Covid-19 patients at the hospital. The NHS, according to the report, will deliver drug studies to at-risk patients and the immune system within 48 hours of Covid-19 testing.
The pill works by reducing the ability of the virus to replicate itself, thus reducing the rate of infection. It is recommended for use in individuals at least one risk of developing serious illnesses, including obesity, old age, diabetes and heart disease.
Based on clinical trial data, the drug is most effective when taken in the early stages of infection and the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) recommends that it be used within five days of the onset of symptoms.
Britain, one of the countries most affected by the epidemic, announced on October 20 that it had ordered 480,000 doses of Molnupiravir from American drug giant Merck.