Covid-19 remains a serious pandemic all over the world and new variants are still emerging, including the most recent Omicron, first discovered in South Africa. However, many experts agree that Covid-19 will eventually evolve to the point that humans can coexist with it. They also agree that symptoms will continue to trend towards becoming less severe, on a level with the common cold that can be effectively treated with various medications.
Meanwhile, global pharmaceutical companies such as MERCK and Pfizer have announced launches of successful Covid antiviral pill medications, namely, Molnupiravir and Paxlovid.

Molnupiravir: Manufactured by MERCK and launched on October 1, 2021, this was the first anti-Covid drug. As a standalone drug with similar properties of inhibiting virus replication as genetic material, it lowers the number of virus cells in the body and reduces severity of the symptoms of the disease.
Paxlovid: This anti-Covid drug manufactured by Pfizer was officially announced on November 5, 2021. The drug contains PF-. 07321332, or Nirmatrelvir, which inhibits the protease enzyme required by the virus to multiply. Paxlovid stays in the body longer when used in combination with Ritonavir, a low-dose antiviral tablet.

Both drugs have shown outstanding results in achieving the same goal: reducing the rate of hospitalizations and deaths. However, their efficacies differ, as we shall see.
• Molnupiravir reduces the likelihood of hospitalization and death by around 50%. The experimental group comprised patients at risk of severe symptoms. In the group with the actual drug, as opposed to a placebo, 28 of the 385 cases were severe, equivalent to 7.3%, with no deaths. In the placebo-controlled group, 53 out of the 377 cases were severe, equivalent to 14.1%, with eight deaths.
• For Paxlovid, 89% of the experimental group consisted of patients with mild-to-moderate symptoms, with at least one risk factor that could exacerbate the symptoms such as the elderly and those with diabetes, obesity, or heart disease. Six out of the 607 cases who received the actual drug had severe symptoms, accounting for 1%, with no deaths. In the placebo-controlled group, 41 of the 612 cases were severe, equivalent to 6.7%, with 10 deaths.

Taking the drugs and side effects
• Molnupiravir – To get the most effective treatment, patients must take the drug within five days of onset of Covid symptoms. A dosage of 200 mg is taken orally, four tablets every 12 hours, for five days. Side effects patients may experience include diarrhea, nausea and dizziness.
• Paxlovid – This treatment has two active components, Nirmatrelvir and Ritonavir. Patients should take the combination of drugs three times a day (two 150 mg Nirmatrelvir and one 100 mg Ritonavir each time) for five days. Patients may have mild side effects such as nausea, diarrhea, higher blood pressure, and muscle ache.
Given the way Covid-19 rapidly mutates, pharmaceutical companies are continually developing their drugs and testing the efficacies. This is just the beginning of the development of medicines that will certainly play an increasingly important role in fighting the coronavirus going forward. Nevertheless, as things stand, for the safety of both ourselves and our loved ones, we still have to practice social distancing, masking and frequent hand-washing, and get vaccinated and boosted.
Customers of Krungthai-AXA Life Insurance who have questions about early Covid symptoms, can use the Symptom Checker on the Emma by AXA application to check. For more information, please visit: https://www.krungthai-axa.co.th/th/emma-by-axa.

References

• MERCK
https://1th.co/go4n64n64n6
• Pfizer
https://1th.co/go4n74n74n7
https://1th.co/go4SQ4SQ4SQ
• BBC
https://www.bbc.com/thai/international-59207074
• The Standard
https://thestandard.co/merck-vs-pfizer/
• U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA)
https://www.fda.gov/media/154472/download
• Harvard Medical School
https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/treatments-for-covid-19