Science Breakthrough of Covid-19 Paxlovid Therapeutic Pills
This article is an update of the selection of Science for the Top 10 Breakthroughs in 2021 by Science Magazine. This article is on the Covid-19 therapeutic Paxlovid, since it is by far the most effective one. I am just the reporter, not a doctor or a biologist or a virologist.
First of all, further government support is needed for vaccines, therapeutics, their distribution, including foreign shipments, and medical care. We hope that this is passed by the time of our lecture on June 6th.
Pfizer’s Paxlovid has cut hospitalizations and deaths from Covid by 89%, all in high risk adults. It is 20 pills taken four a day for five days. There are now 20,000 prescriptions for it a day. It must be started within the first five days of tested or symptomatic infection.
The news has made a big deal out of reinfection after taking the course, but it is only at a rate of 1-2% and is milder.
The Merck molnupiravir turned out to be only 30% effective.
The risks for a serious Covid infection are age, obesity, diabetes, and a compromised immune system. Also, not being vaccinated and waining immunity from vaccines and previous infections. The CDC recommends that all vaccinated people get booster shots when qualified for them.
23 million Americans have long Covid, which will be fewer if vaccinated, and will not be as bad.
The Federal government is setting up nine Anti-viral Drug Discovery Centers. The one at UCSF has three year funding for $67.5 million with a possible two year extension. It is a global academic-industry collaboration with 14 institutions. It seeks drugs to block viral targets for SARS-CoV-2, other coronaviruses, and other viral families. This will stop the viruses from hijacking the cells’ protein making machinery to make copies of itself.
