A pill that could potentially treat Covid-19 is a “game-changer”, but not an alternative to vaccinations, says an article published in CNN.
Pill to treat Covid
A pill that could potentially treat Covid-19 is a “game-changer”, but experts are emphasizing that it’s not an alternative to vaccinations — which remain the most effective path to ending the coronavirus pandemic.
Roughly 255,767 people are becoming fully vaccinated in the US each day, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Gottlieb on vaccination
“This can be used in conjunction with the vaccine. And it’s not an alternative to vaccination. We still have to try to get more people vaccinated“, Dr. Scott Gottlieb, former commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration, told CNN on Friday.
Gottlieb acknowledged that antiviral medicine could be effective for those who choose not to get vaccinated, as well as those who catch the virus while fully vaccinated.
“This is the most impactful result that I remember seeing of an orally available drug in the treatment of a respiratory pathogen, perhaps ever”, Gottlieb told CNN’s, Anderson Cooper.
White House responses
“This is a potential additional tool in our toolbox to protect people from the worst outcomes of Covid”, White House Covid-19 Response Coordinator Jeff Zients said Friday.
Zients echoed Gottlieb’s stance on vaccination, underscoring inoculation remains “far and away from our best tool against Covid-19” because the shots can prevent people from getting infected in the first place.
“And we want to prevent infections, not just wait to treat them once they happen”, Zients said.
Louisiana reports
Meanwhile, Louisiana reported Friday that a child at or under the age of four died from Covid-19. It was the state’s 17th pediatric death from the virus.
“We owe it to ourselves, our children, and everyone around us to take advantage of the best protection we have, and that is the vaccine and wearing a mask”, Louisiana State Health Officer Dr. Joseph Kanter said.
The Delta variant of the coronavirus has made child infections much more common than during the onset of the pandemic.
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Source: CNN Health
