Dr. Céline Gounder, an infectious disease specialist and epidemiologist at NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue joins Two Way Talk to discuss the the new COVID-19 pill, at home testing kits and misinformation surrounding the vaccine.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Drugmaker Merck says its experimental COVID-19 pill reduced hospitalizations and deaths by half in people recently infected with the coronavirus.
That is potentially a leap forward in the global fight against the pandemic.
The company said it will soon ask health officials in the U.S. and around the world to authorize the pill’s use. A decision from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration could come within weeks after that. If cleared, the drug would be the first pill shown to treat COVID-19.
All COVID-19 therapies now authorized in the U.S. require an IV or injection.
The results have not been peer reviewed by outside experts. An independent group of medical advisers monitoring the trial recommended stopping it early because the interim results were so strong.
"You can potentially have it at home."
— Bloomberg Quicktake (@Quicktake) October 8, 2021
A game-changing #Covid19 pill is being developed by Merck, which claims to cut the risk of hospitalization by about 50%. @Deakin University's Catherine Bennett explains how https://t.co/EFdx5ylrA8 pic.twitter.com/qhZH3xejYU