It was a long awaited study. Published in scientific journal the lanceta study conducted by researchers at the University of Oxford looked at the effectiveness of the antiviral treatment Molnupiravir in vaccinated adults vulnerable to Covid-19.
According to the results, Molnupiravir leads to faster recovery in vaccinated adults infected with Covid-19, compared to individuals who did not receive this treatment.
However, the main objective of the study was to find out if molnupiravir reduced the risk of hospitalization or death. In this hypothesis, the results are negative.
Patients heal 4.2 days faster
25,708 people participated in this study. They were over 50 years of age or had comorbidities and therefore a higher risk of death or hospitalization from Covid-19.
Half of the people received, between December 8, 2021 and April 27, 2022, 800 milligrams of the antiviral twice a day for five days. The researchers found that these patients recovered from the disease an average of 4.2 days faster than the others.
On the other hand, Molnupiravir does not reduce the number of hospitalizations or deaths in these vaccinated adults infected with Covid-19 and who are at increased risk of contracting a severe form.
Reduce the burden on health services
Professor Chris Butler, the paper’s lead author, said that while this study found no benefit of treatment on the risk of hospitalizations or death, it could provide other insights in the fight against Covid-19.
The fact that molnupiravir reduces the duration of the disease could help ease the burden on health services, he said. This new study is unique in that it was conducted in a predominantly vaccinated population where most infections were due to the Omicron variant.
In France, Paxlovid is used as an antiviral against Covid-19. It has been present on the French market since last February, but it is still relatively little used, too little according to the health authorities. The Covars called in October to “expand its use.”
Source: BFM TV
