Molnupiravir Treatment: Covid Anti-Viral Drug, Does It Really Kill The Virus?

Did you think Covid is over? Think again. The antiviral drug for COVID-19 is now in question for its use because it causes mutations that can be passed from patient to patient. Molnupiravir treatment is the solution to treating Covid-positive patients via its antiviral mechanisms.

With the new variants of Covid entering into the population is deadlier than the last one. This antiviral drug replicates the RNA which in turn combat the viral properties from within. But the case now is different. It generates unexpected mutations that are believed to spread more quickly.

This oral treatment now raises a question as to whether it can actually serve its purpose of saving the patient or catching another host in the process. It does help in reducing the cause of hospitalization and incidence of deaths but not when it comes to spreading the virus.

Molnupiravir capsules were introduced and approved in late 2021, during the Omnicoron variant of Covid. But today the same antiviral drug has the potential to trigger SARS-CoV-2 mutations. 

The Study Of Molnupiravir in 2023

After the treatment was introduced to the general public in 2022, scientists researched on its effects and beyond. The study was published in the journal Nature recently. Researchers monitored a family tree of 150 billion SARS-CoV-2 sequences. To their surprise, the global sequencing looked different from the COVID mutations that were taking Molnupiravir treatment. 

Theo Sanderson a Ph.D., a post-doctoral researcher at Francis Cirk University said in a public release that Molnupiravir can increase the mutations of SARS-CoV-2. Another study coauthor, Ryan Hinser at the University of Cape Town said that this drug can not only replicate the cells but also can be transmitted. 

This calls for a threat to public health and an urge to monitor the use of antiviral drugs. Although it can fight off the virus but not kill them. This takes into account the effective medication for new variants of COVID. 

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Considerations For Anti-Viral Drug

The general idea of going through Molnupiravir treatment is that it requires a 5-day consumption of oral medicine of 800 mg twice daily. The patient need not be hospitalized for this treatment and must follow the recommended guidelines.

This treatment is avoided for expecting mothers and recommended only when there are no other options prescribed. The drug can be used for individuals hospitalized but they must have mild symptoms of COVID. For patients who are immune compromised may need to extend this treatment so as to recover faster. 

Additionally, if you are sexually active and consuming this medication, then it is advised to abstain from sex or use a reliable contraceptive. It is believed that mutations can increase during this treatment and can also show up in pregnancy. The guidelines also state to abstain from sex for a period of 3 months from the last dose of Molnupiravir. 

The clinical trials did not experiment on children below the age of 18 years as there is a possible effect on bone and cartilage growth. Therefore, the age gap where this treatment can be effective is between 18 to 60 years. 

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Conclusion

The final thoughts on whether to undergo this treatment or not are really nerve-wracking. This drug has the potential to make you feel better but not entirely. There is research going on to manufacture a drug that kills these variants and eradicates them once and for all. 

With the evolution of medicines and technology, we can only hope that there will be an absolute answer to this Virus and its variants. Till then you can strive for a healthy life. 

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