“But this is not a miracle cure and certainly not an alternative to vaccination,” he told the newspaper Het Belang van Limburg on Wednesday.
These drugs are intended for patients at risk. “The problems usually arise in the older population with co-morbidities, those 40 to 50 years old, who end up in hospitals,” he explains.
Not there to replace the vaccine
“The pills are an additional line of protection, but only at a later stage, when people are already infected and have become ill. There is enough evidence to say that these drugs work and prevent some patients from going to hospital, but we do not know exactly how effective they are and in which individuals. This requires a more in-depth study, ”continues the expert.
The anti-Covid pills Lagevrio (from MSD) and Paxlovid (from Pfizer) can also be taken at home, on prescription from the general practitioner. “We have ordered 10,000 treatments from MSD and we are in the final phase of negotiations with Pfizer,” adds Dirk Ramaekers.
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