Chief medical advisor says antiviral drugs will not cancel out the need for vaccinationsDr Fauci predicts a low level of COVID-19 disruption by spring<\/p>\n
NASSAU, BAHAMAS Despite the introduction of antiviral drugs against COVID-19, there will still be a need to administer vaccinations globally, according to Dr Anthony Fauci, chief medical advisor to the United States president.<\/p>\n
Fauci made the comment yesterday while appearing as a guest on local talk show The Morning Blend with host Dwight Strachan. <\/p>\n
His take on the latest COVID-19 treatment to hit the market comes as pharmaceutical companies seek to introduce antiviral medication to treat onset COVID-19 symptoms for high-risk individuals.<\/p>\n
Fauci noted that while its very good that we are getting these very promising drugs, prevention is the only way to end COVID-19 outbreaks.<\/p>\n
Treatment only helps you to not get seriously ill once you get infected, he said.<\/p>\n
If you want to end an outbreak, you have to stop getting infected, and you do that with a combination of vaccines and mitigation methods in such appropriate situations.<\/p>\n
He confirmed that vaccinations will still be required even with these new drugs being administered.<\/p>\n
The United Kingdom medicines regulator has approved the first antiviral medication for COVID-19 in the form of a pill called molnupiravir.<\/p>\n
The pill, which was developed by US drug companies Merck, Sharp and Dohme (MSD) and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, will begin being given twice a day to vulnerable patients who have been diagnosed COVID-positive.The drug must also be given within five days of developing symptoms in order to be most effective.<\/p>\n
Pfizer has also announced that it has developed a pill named Paxlovid that would cut the risk of hospitalizations or death by 89 percent in vulnerable adults.<\/p>\n
There is still no cure for the novel coronavirus, with a mix of treatments being used to manage symptoms and effects of the disease.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
When will it end?<\/p>\n
Asked yesterday how the exit from the pandemic will look, Fauci noted that the world is still moving through the different phases of the pandemic.<\/p>\n
You go from the pandemic phase, which means its somewhat controlled which it is, we know that globally then you get to a deceleration of cases over, but then you get to control and there are various levels of control, the US medical expert explained.<\/p>\n
So, the WHO (World Health Organization) can declare its over as a pandemic when you get down to a certain lower level of infection throughout the world, but that doesnt mean were done with it because if you get really, really good control, then you have very few cases.<\/p>\n
You can declare a pandemic over, but you can still have a lot of cases in the community. We want to get as low-level control as we possibly can.<\/p>\n
Fauci added: What we are hoping is that when we get through this winter and go into the spring, then we will have a lower level that it is not disrupting society That will depend very much on how many people around the world get vaccinated.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Read more: <\/p>\n
DR FAUCI WEIGHS IN: US medical expert speaks on when he sees pandemic being declared over - EyeWitness News<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Chief medical advisor says antiviral drugs will not cancel out the need for vaccinationsDr Fauci predicts a low level of COVID-19 disruption by spring NASSAU, BAHAMAS Despite the introduction of antiviral drugs against COVID-19, there will still be a need to administer vaccinations globally, according to Dr Anthony Fauci, chief medical advisor to the United States president. Fauci made the comment yesterday while appearing as a guest on local talk show The Morning Blend with host Dwight Strachan. His take on the latest COVID-19 treatment to hit the market comes as pharmaceutical companies seek to introduce antiviral medication to treat onset COVID-19 symptoms for high-risk individuals Continue reading