Will Pfizer’s COVID pill end the pandemic?
Evidence is showing that there is no way that we can eradicate COVID, and governments think that the best hope we have of ending the pandemic is by managing the illness. Now, the World Health Organization (WHO) thinks that Paxlovid, Pfizer’s new COVID antiviral pill is the solution. Unfortunately for us, the evidence is showing that it isn’t.
In this article by Igor Chudov, he discussed the evidence showing that Paxlovid may clear the symptoms of COVID, but it does not clear the virus. This essentially means that those who take Paxlovid do not have symptoms but they also have an ongoing contagious COVID infection.
There are also several safety issues related to the Paxlovid. For example, an article published by the American Medical Association (AMA) says that that drug IS NOT FOR EVERYONE. Patients younger than 18, and those who are pregnant should not take this drug. Moreover, the drug cannot be used to treat severe COVID symptoms.
- https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/public-health/what-doctors-wish-patients-knew-about-covid-19-oral-antivirals
An entry for the Paxlovid at Drugs.Com also shows that it cannot be used for people who have liver or kidney disease, allergies, or any serious illnesses. Women who are planning to get pregnant or who are breastfeeding should also not take the drugs. Aside from these, some of the known side effects of Paxlovid include liver problems, resistance to HIV medicines, and high blood pressure. The entry also says, “…it is possible that all of the risks are not known at this time”.
Knowing all of these facts about Paxlovid, what was the reason then for the WHO to issue a “strong recommendation” for Paxlovid?
- https://manilastandard.net/news/world-news/314223044/who-strongly-recommends-pfizers-covid-pill.html
If Paxlovid can only be used for “mild forms of the disease” for those who are “at high risk of hospitalization” (take note: hospitalization, not death), why would anyone want to use this expensive drug when we already have some cheaper alternatives for managing the COVID disease?
