Britons testing positive for COVID-19 or exposed to the virus could be sent antiviral tablets to take home – as the Prime Minister aims to bolster the UK’s defenses against another wave of infections this year.
Boris Johnson on Tuesday launched a government task force – modeled after the group that guaranteed UK access to COVID vaccines – to identify the most promising new antiviral drugs.
The working group will be responsible for supporting the development of new antiviral treatments through clinical trials in order to ensure their deployment to patients from the fall.
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Speaking at a press conference in Downing Street, the Prime Minister said the action was intended to be an “additional medical line of defense” against the coronavirus.
“This means, for example, that if your test is positive, there may be a pill you could take home to stop the virus in its tracks and dramatically reduce the risk of infection turning into more serious illness.” , he added.
“Or if you live with someone who has tested positive, there may be a pill you can take for a few days to prevent yourself from contracting the disease on your own.
The government’s goal is to have at least two effective treatments this year – in tablet or capsule form – that the public can take home after testing positive for COVID or exposure to someone infected with the virus.
It is hoped that the drugs could help fight any future increase in infections and limit the impact of newer COVID variants, especially during winter flu season.
The goal is for treatments to stop the spread of infections and speed up recovery times.
The Prime Minister said, despite the UK’s “progress” in the fight against the coronavirus, that “we cannot kid ourselves that COVID is gone”.
Mr Johnson said he saw “nothing in the data at this time” that would cause him to “deviate” from his roadmap to lift lockdown restrictions.
But he also warned: “The majority of …
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Source: news.sky.com
This notice was published: 2021-04-20 14:43:00
