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Wrap-up of news stories taken from the day's local headlines.

Two Way Talk: What is the Merck COVID-19 pill?

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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.

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The results have not been peer reviewed by outside experts.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.