Since the COVID-19 pandemic seems long away from being over, scientists are reassessing the control strategy, states Science News. Although COVID-19 vaccines have proven to be the major armor in our toolbox as the first line of protection, antivirals, and a monoclonal antibody are the next line of defense. Since vaccines were designed for preventing hospitalizations and deaths, the emergence of newer variants and among elderly or people with weakened immune systems or other health concerns, a vaccine alone does not seem to be sufficient.
There are three antiviral drugs... - Paxlovid: a combo of two medications made by Pfizer
- Molnupiravir: made by Merck
- Remdesivir: the only antiviral drug fully approved by the FDA, made by Gilead and monoclonal antibodies (or mAbs) to prevent newly infected people from becoming severely ill and dying.
Since vaccines are meant for preventing infections and drugs are for therapeutic purposes, none of the drugs are likely to prevent new waves of infection. Along with supply issues, dosing complexity reported relapse, and as the drugs are primarily studied in unvaccinated people who are at risk of developing severe disease, there is no real evidence to show they are effective in making people feel better faster or not, especially among vaccinated individuals.
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