COVID-19 Drug No Substitute for Vaccine

[snoop1130]

 

People may prefer treatment for COVID-19 over vaccination for COVID-19. The media often broadcast disturbing stories about vaccine side effects, and as a result, many people feel that it is best not to take the vaccine since the treatment is already available.

 

The pandemic of COVID-19 has placed unprecedented strains on Thailand’s overburdened health care system, creating an urgent need for access to health supplies. This week, Thailand, like many countries, rushed to secure Molnupiravir, an antiviral pill used to treat COVID-19. The pharmaceutical giant, Merck & Co., designed Molnupiravir to inflict errors into the virus’s genetic code, and this new treatment is anticipated to drastically reduce the severity of illness from the virus. Even the US President’s chief medical advisor, Anthony Fauci, hails this drug as a game-changer capable of halving the risk of severe illness or death in individuals with mild-to-moderate symptoms. Furthermore, Pfizer reported that their COVID-19 drug, Paxlovid, is capable of decreasing hospitalisation and fatality rates by more than 90% in high-risk patients due to the drug’s ability to inhibit an enzyme required for the virus to grow. Both Molnupiravir and Paxlovid are anticipated to be effective, easy to administer, and critical in limiting future disease outbreaks.

 

COVID-19 medicines have the potential to be a crucial component of Thailand’s pandemic strategy, contributing to the country’s reopening this month. However, any COVID-19 pill is not a replacement for the COVID-19 vaccine. COVID-19 vaccination of a sufficient number of those in Thailand is still necessary. The drug is merely one of the key forces in Thailand’s arsenal to avert the worst consequences of lifting the ban on inbound international flights. Although the medicine makes COVID-19 treatable to a certain extent, it will not be enough to stop the pandemic. There is no substitute for a vaccine, which is a low-cost and effective preventative tool.

 

The purpose of a vaccine is to eliminate or contain the virus within the body while simultaneously producing antibodies against it without causing infection. Even if a vaccine recipient becomes ill, the symptoms should be milder than they would be if the recipient had not been vaccinated. An antiviral medication, on the other hand, is for treating people who have been infected with a virus. When given prior to or shortly after exposure and before the onset of illness, the medication prevents or limits infection. The drug tends to be effective when taken before to or after exposure and continues to be effective for the length of the pill’s administration.

 

While vaccines aim to prevent infection, a pill that shortens recovery times would provide treatment for those who are already infected, potentially alleviating the hospital burden. Health care workers are already exhausted from witnessing unnecessary deaths. For them, the antiviral medication is the latest weapon in what appears to be an endless war against COVID-19. It may be used in conjunction with the vaccine but is not a replacement for vaccination. Vaccination provides the best protection against serious illness and is far superior to being admitted to the hospital and receiving round-the-clock care, including the latest medications. Prevention should continue to take precedence over treatment. Thailand must continue to work to increase vaccination rates, as the shots can help prevent people from becoming infected in the first place.

 

Vaccine misinformation can obscure and cause vaccine hesitancy, prompting individuals to seek alternatives. Many believe that the majority of COVID-19 vaccines are only approved on an emergency basis; a special FDA pathway helps expedite the frequently lengthy regulatory process during a national emergency. Vaccines, hence, are not safe. People begin to question whether taking those emergency authorised vaccines is necessary if COVID-19 is treatable. Nonetheless, COVID-19 medications have been approved for emergency use similarly. Therefore, both emergency-authorised vaccines and emergency-authorised medicines practically have the same level of evidence supporting their safety and effectiveness.

 

Medical research and pharmaceutical development have placed great emphasis on the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 over the last two years. Any breakthrough in developing viable COVID-19 vaccines and treatments is very encouraging news. Nevertheless, if there is a simple solution to protecting people in Thailand from COVID-19, it is, in general, a vaccine.

 

-- © Copyright NNT 2021-11-11

 

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WRITTEN BY SILADA ROJRATANAKIAT

[hotchilli]

I only got to the end of the first paragraph and gave -up...

Christmas is coming and I've cards to post.

[vivananahuahin]

Keep smiling is also good for the health.

[Danderman123]

Treatments for Covid don't stop the epidemic, they just mitigate the symptoms of the infected. 

[rickudon]

22 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

The drug is merely one of the key forces in Thailand’s arsenal to avert the worst consequences of lifting the ban on inbound international flights.

Misinformation. Once Covid-19 is endemic in your country, and you test all incoming travellers, inbound international flights are irrelevant as a source of the virus.

[toolpush]

4 hours ago, Danderman123 said:

Treatments for Covid don't stop the epidemic, they just mitigate the symptoms of the infected. 

It apperas that the so-called vaccines don't stop it either. See Waterford, Ireland. Or Israel.

[Danderman123]

40 minutes ago, toolpush said:

It apperas that the so-called vaccines don't stop it either. See Waterford, Ireland. Or Israel.

The problem with receiving and posting this kind of stuff from your internet friends is sometimes the misinformation they send you gets stale, and they don't tell you. 

 

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/israel/

 

Israel's vaccination program is having a dramatic effect on reducing Delta infections. Your data is bad, and your premise is flawed. 

 

Vaccination reduces the spread of Covid. 

[Danderman123]

55 minutes ago, rickudon said:

Misinformation. Once Covid-19 is endemic in your country, and you test all incoming travellers, inbound international flights are irrelevant as a source of the virus.

Unless you are worried about new variants. 

[onthedarkside]

A post with unsourced and unsubstantiated claims regarding the drug cited in this thread has been removed.  If you're going to make such claims, you'd better support them in your post with related quotes and weblinks to credible sources.

 

[onthedarkside]

A disallowed social media video has been removed.

 

Please see the forum's policy on social media content in news topics:

 

Social Media content is acceptable in most social forums. However, in factual areas such as news, current affairs and health topics, it cannot be used unless it is from a credible news media source or government agency, and must include a weblink to the original source.

[Pravda]

On 11/11/2021 at 5:28 PM, snoop1130 said:

The pandemic of COVID-19 has placed unprecedented strains on Thailand’s overburdened health care system

I don't get it. Healthcare is world class in Thailand.