Thai Disease Control Dept insists Favipiravir is effective in treating COVID-19

[webfact]

 

The Disease Control Department has asked critics not to undervalue the Favipiravir anti-viral medication, as it insists that the drug is efficacious in the treatment of COVID-19.

 

Dr. Opart Karnkawinpong, the department’s director-general, cited a Thai study on the use of Favipiravir, jointly conducted by the Clinical Research Centre of the Faculty of Medicine at Siriraj hospital, the Bamrasnaradura Institute of Infectious Diseases, the Department of Disease Control and the Medical Sciences Department.

 

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He said today (Saturday) that the study was conducted on two groups of COVID-19 patients. The first 62 patients were administered 1,800 milligrams of Favipiravir twice day a day on the first day, followed by 800 milligrams twice a day for four days. The second group of 31 patients were not given Favipiravir.

 

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Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/thai-disease-control-dept-insists-favipiravir-is-effective-in-treating-covid-19/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2022-03-21

 

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[ukrules]

For some reason two words spring to mind : Bomb detectors ????

[JoePai]

So they came to this conclusion after a study(?) of less that 100 patients ?

[mtls2005]

4 hours ago, ukrules said:

For some reason two words spring to mind : Bomb detectors ????

Is rain-making one word or two?

 

And how did the "amulet" group do? Better/worse than the untreated group?

 

Suspect this is as much about fending off claims of corruption on the interwebs, rather than straight up malpractice. Most Favi patients have mild to moderate symptoms and would likely survive. 

 

 

From the OP-linked article

 

A report, published in “Nature” as recently as last month and titled “The efficacy and safety of Favipiravir in treatment of COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials” concluded, however, that “Overall, Favipiravir possibly exerted no significant beneficial effect in the term of mortality in the general group of patients with mild to moderate COVID-19. We should consider that perhaps the use of antivirals once the patient has symptoms is too late and this would explain their low efficacy in the clinical setting. There upon, more clinical trials with a larger sample size are necessary to evaluate the exact efficacy and safety of this intervention.”

[ftpjtm]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

The first 62 patients were administered 1,800 milligrams of Favipiravir twice day a day on the first day, followed by 800 milligrams twice a day for four days. The second group of 31 patients were not given Favipiravir.

Seems like a pretty small sample group. 

 

So they placed a 6 Billion baht order for a controversial drug based on a study of 93 patients?

 

Must have been one helluva kickback involved...

 

[MrJ2U]

Like there Sinovac and Sinopharm deals they've probably taken ages to work out kickbacks.

 

They don't want to start that process again with a new and better drug.

 

They've probably already spent the money.

 

[Caldera]

11 hours ago, webfact said:

He said today (Saturday) that the study was conducted on two groups of COVID-19 patients. The first 62 patients were administered 1,800 milligrams of Favipiravir twice day a day on the first day, followed by 800 milligrams twice a day for four days. The second group of 31 patients were not given Favipiravir.

With tens of thousands new Covid cases daily (and that's just the official count!), you'd think they should have been able to conduct a somewhat more sizable study. 93 people, really?