The antiviral medication molnupiravir will be given to COVID patients in Turkey starting next week.
Professor Alper Şener, a member of the Health Ministry’s Coronavirus Scientific Advisory Board said the drug will be effective in suppressing the virus’ impact on the body.
“I believe it will reduce the rate of hospitalization and intensive care need especially among patients at the age of 65 and above and those with additional chronic illnesses,” he said.
Şener told Anadolu Agency (AA) on Friday that it will also mark the first time the country will put a locally produced drug to use against the deadly disease. The introduction of the drug comes at a time when Turkey is struggling with a new wave in the pandemic, aggravated by the fast-spreading omicron variant.
Şener said molnupiravir would be administered to senior citizens and people with chronic diseases like diabetes. The drug primarily aims to prevent viruses from holding onto the lungs, the part of the body it hits most. He added that the drug would be administered twice a day during the five-day treatment. He noted that the doses are far lower compared to favipiravir, another drug widely used in the early days of the pandemic in Turkey, adding that this could alleviate people’s concerns about antiviral drugs against COVID-19.
On the surge in cases, Şener said they expected this trend to continue for a while but a decline is anctipated by the end of February. “Though the number of cases is high, we don’t see any challenge to hospitals in terms of hospitalizations,” he noted.
