Dr. Anthony Fauci, the government's foremost authority on infectious diseases, called the results from Merck “very good news.”Merck only studied its drug in people who were not vaccinated. But FDA regulators may consider authorizing it for broader use in vaccinated patients who get breakthrough COVID-19 symptoms. Andrew Pekosz of Johns Hopkins University predicted vaccines and antiviral drugs would ultimately be used together to protect against the worst effects of COVID-19. Side effects were reported by both groups in the Merck trial, but they were slightly more common among those who received a dummy pill. That's not surprising, given that antiviral drugs are most effective when used before the virus ramps up in the body.

Source: Daily Sun October 01, 2021 10:55 UTC