Source: CNA
Molnupiravir, the antiviral medication for COVID, has been administered to almost one thousand patients in Cyprus, according to Deputy Head of pharmaceutical services Elena Panagiotopoulou.
Molnupiravir, by drug manufacturer Merck, has been administered to 984 patients and 7% of them had to be admitted to hospital.
She said that no deaths or any other side effects were reported.
Panagiotopoulou said that so far authorities cannot draw safe conclusions as regards the drug`s efficacy and she explained that this is only possible if at the same time this medication was given to the above number of patients, a placebo drug was given to an equal number of patients.
She explained that it is a bit risky to draw any conclusions, adding that it is better to have the drug than not have it at all.
She also said that studies have shown that there was proven efficacy as regards the decrease of hospitalizations and/or deaths by 30% whereas as regards the fatality parameter, the drop reaches 89%.
The drug also decreases the risk of serious illness or death by 7.3% to people who were infected compared to 14.1% of those who had a placebo medication administered. A total of 775 people participated in this study.
