Molnupiravir was authorized by the British regulator, the MHRA, for people who suffer from a mild or moderate coronavirus and have at least one risk factor for developing the disease in a serious way (obesity, age over 60 years, diabetes or heart disease ).
Antivirals, such as molnupiravir, work by reducing the ability of the virus to reproduce, thus slowing down the disease.
The use of this drug can be twofold: both to prevent those infected from suffering serious symptoms, and to prevent those who have been in close contact from developing the disease.
If given to patients in the days after a positive diagnostic test, it reduces the chances of hospitalization by 50%, according to a clinical trial conducted by Merck.
With information from AFP and EFE.