The Department of Health announced recently that the widespread use of oral antiviral drugs helped reduce the threat of SARS-CoV-2 infections. The Chinese University of Hong Kong’s (CUHK) Faculty of Medicine (CU Medicine) Division of Geriatrics and Medical Data Analytics Centre (MDAC) analysed data of 14,000 patients with COVID-19 living in nursing homes, proving two oral antivirals Molnupiravir and Nirmatrelvir/ Ritonavir, known as Paxlovid, are effective in lowering the risk of hospitalisation by 54% and the risk of inpatient disease progression by 65-83%. The research team believes the results provide strong evidence to encourage older patients, both in nursing homes and in the community, to seek medical assistance and take oral antivirals as soon as they get infected. Details of the study have been published in the international journal JAMA Network Open.¹

Reference:

1. Ma BH, Yip TC, Lui GC, Lai MS, Hui E, Wong VW, Tse YK, Chan HL, Hui DS, Kwok TC, Wong GL. Clinical Outcomes Following Treatment for COVID-19 With Nirmatrelvir/Ritonavir and Molnupiravir Among Patients Living in Nursing Homes. JAMA Netw Open. 2023 Apr 3;6(4):e2310887. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2804227