Contents
We already have vaccines against COVID-19, but we still haven’t found simple treatments for this disease (currently only possible in a hospital). Boris Johnson is about to change the situation. The British prime minister wants home anti-coronavirus tablets to be available in the fall. A special task force will work on this. How would they work, and is this ambitious plan likely to succeed?
- British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has “begun” the search for simple treatments for the coronavirus that could be used at home
- The drugs would be in the form of tablets or capsules. Johnson would like these preparations to be available in the fall. They could help fight the expected next wave of COVID-19
- According to the Prime Minister, antiviral drugs for use at home would be another weapon in the fight against the pandemic – in addition to vaccination and mass testing
- How do the scientists judge the idea? There are some concerns
- For more up-to-date information on the coronavirus epidemic, visit the Onet homepage.
A drug for COVID-19 for home use. Britain is looking for a treatment
During the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, it was possible to develop effective vaccines against COVID-19 in record time (let us remind you that it was possible, among others, because the work on them was a continuation of efforts from previous years). Unfortunately, we do not yet have a simple treatment for SARS-CoV-2 infection. As the British Daily Mail points out, “most of the research done so far has focused on rescuing hospitalized patients and there are currently no home treatments to combat this infection … People who are lightly affected are usually advised to rest and take paracetamol or ibuprofen”.
Boris Johnson wants to change the situation. On April 20, the British Prime Minister announced the start of the search for simple COVID-19 treatments that could be used at home. These are to be two drugs, in the form of tablets or capsules. Moreover, Johnson hopes they will be available in the fall. He also emphasized that there are also hopes that these drugs will help stop new variants of the pathogen, as well as help control local outbreaks.
Home use drugs against COVID-19 are also to be a weapon against the expected third wave of the epidemic in the UK. – Most scientific opinions suggest that at some stage this year we will see another wave of COVID-19 – admitted the prime minister, adding: – So we must, if possible, learn to live with this disease, as we live with others.
To achieve this ambitious plan, a dedicated Antivirals Task Force is being established. It is to oversee the work and future clinical trials. It will include government employees, academic experts and specialists from pharmaceutical companies.
Home Medicines Against COVID-19 – When?
The Prime Minister recalled that while the introduction of vaccines would reduce the next wave of infections, there would still be people who would not be protected, for example because they had not decided to vaccinate or could not be vaccinated for various reasons. The development of drugs against COVID-19 for home use would therefore be, along with vaccination and mass testing, another method of defense against the pathogen. – They could help protect people who are not vaccinated or who are not eligible for vaccines. They could also be a further defense against the new options, emphasized the UK government’s chief scientific advisor, Sir Patrick Vallance.
The assumption is that antiviral drugs would be offered to people who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 or had close contact with an infected person (for example, if they live with them). This means, for example, that if the test is positive, home medications will help contain the virus and significantly reduce the risk of the infection turning into severe COVID-19, explained Prime Minister Johnson. – And if you live with someone who tested positive, you can take the drug for several days, preventing you from getting sick.
In short, the development of anti-COVID-19 tablets for home use would help nip the disease in the bud and reduce the number of severe conditions requiring hospitalization.
Anti-COVID-19 drugs for home use. What are scientists most interested in?
The few drugs that are currently useful in treating inpatients with COVID-19 are a steroid called dexamethasone and the antiviral remdesivir. Let us recall that at the beginning of March, the President of the Office for Registration of Medicinal Products, Medical Devices and Biocidal Products, Grzegorz Cessak, announced that studies with the use of dexamethasone showed that its use in hospitalized patients receiving oxygen reduced the risk of developing the disease and invasive ventilation.
As for remdesivir, let’s remind you that world health organizations have alternately recommended it or not recognized the effectiveness of COVID-19. Currently, this preparation is available in over forty countries (including Poland).
- It is the only approved drug for the coronavirus. Where did remdesivir come from?
As the Daily Mail notes, “there are no other antiviral drugs routinely used to treat COVID-19, but clinical trials are ongoing.” At this point, it is worth mentioning the clinical trials on the effectiveness of amantadine in the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection, which have recently started at the Upper Silesian Medical Center (GCM) in Katowice-Ochojec. is an agent used in the treatment of neurological diseases, including Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis.
Coming back to the British government’s plans, however, one of the antiviral drugs that offer a chance to “potentially treat out-of-hospital patients” is molnupiravir. This agent was originally intended to fight the flu, but trials in hamsters have shown that it also works against COVID-19. Currently, its effectiveness is proven in human studies.
Another drug that the researchers are looking at is the Japanese flu drug favipiravir. As the Daily Mail writes, “it could be added to the UK arsenal if research shows that it also works against COVID-19.” The effectiveness of ritonavir and lopinavir, drugs developed to treat HIV, are also being tested in COVID-19 patients. Hope – although not for everyone – is also raised by budesonide, which is not antiviral, but anti-inflammatory (it is used in the case of asthma). A study by the University of Oxford found that the substance could reduce convalescence time by an average of three days. However, according to major UK doctors, there is insufficient evidence to make it part of standard care.
Is it possible to develop an anti-COVID-19 pill by autumn? Scientists’ reactions
Referring to the plans announced by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, scientists emphasize that the idea is good, but they are worried about the way it will be implemented and the high expectations set at an early stage. Dr. Julian Tang, a virologist at the University of Leicester, admitted to the Daily Mail: “I don’t know what this magic antiviral will be.”
— It is really important that the task force does not try to bypass the usual drug development pathway – emphasized Dr. David Lowe, immunologist at University College London. As he explained, “new drugs or drugs with a different intended use must first be carefully assessed in the framework of small studies. Only those that seem to be safe and effective should be further tested. The specialist fears that it may not be possible to develop effective drugs before winter. ‘But let’s hope the task force is a step in the right direction.
You may be interested in:
- A new drug for COVID-19 is being developed. “Works against all variants of the coronavirus”
- What determines whether we get infected with COVID-19? Asthmatics get sick less often
- Which countries are winning the fight against COVID-19? Where is Poland located? Latest ranking
The content of the medTvoiLokony website is intended to improve, not replace, the contact between the Website User and their doctor. The website is intended for informational and educational purposes only. Before following the specialist knowledge, in particular medical advice, contained on our Website, you must consult a doctor. The Administrator does not bear any consequences resulting from the use of information contained on the Website. Do you need a medical consultation or an e-prescription? Go to halodoctor.pl, where you will get online help – quickly, safely and without leaving your home.