Humanity may be on the verge of overcoming for good the dark period marked by the devastation caused by Covid-19. While vaccines are now available around the world, researchers have just announced that treatments against the Coronavirus will be released before the end of the year. These treatments would come in the form of pills to be taken daily.
According to NBC, currently, three different treatments are in clinical trials. These pills would fight the virus while limiting contagion. These are antivirals that work like those used against hepatitis C, HIV and influenza infections, that is, they interfere with the ability of the virus to multiply in the human body.
Researchers had to overcome some hurdles before they could confirm that the drugs will be available soon. In any case, they believe that their emergency use and distribution should quickly be authorized.
Three treatments available before the end of the year?
The three oral treatments are offered by three giants of the pharmaceutical industry. These include Merck & Co. and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, Pfizer and Roche and Atea Pharmaceuticals. The team said the trials are now well underway and the results of those tests could arrive as early as the fall or winter.
“I think we will have answers as to what these pills are capable of doing in the coming months. “
Carl Diefenbach, Director of the AIDS Division at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Mistrust of the scientific process
Researchers who are currently conducting the tests have reported some difficulties in the conduct of the scientific process. The biggest obstacle was people’s mistrust of the process. It was therefore necessary to recruit a hundred people willing to take the drugs. They also had to be unvaccinated. In addition, participants had to be diagnosed positive for Covid-19, no more than five days before the tests.
“Generally speaking, there is a lot of mistrust of the scientific process. And some people say pretty mean things to interns. “
Dr Elizabeth Duke, a researcher overseeing one of the trials
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I am a technology author with 8 years of experience in journalism. My writing covers the latest technology advancements and trends, drawing on my expertise in news journalism and social media platforms. I have contributed to major media outlets such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Reuters.
