Act now on favipiravir
published : 4 Aug 2021 at 04:00
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Access to medicine can make a life-and-death difference amid the Covid-19 emergency. The government cannot afford to fail in the crucial mission of securing enough of the antiviral medication favipiravir to cover the rapid increase of patients.
Action should be taken now and not at the last minute.
Examples abound that show how a false sense of security which resulted in delayed responses have pushed the country deeper into crisis than it should have.
The procurement of Covid-19 vaccines is one. Investment to expand the capacity of public health infrastructure is another.
Warnings about a possible shortage of favipiravir, the primary medicine used to treat Covid-19 patients with moderate to severe symptoms, have been sounded time and again.
Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, Thais have been gripped by fear. For months, these worries which have been intensified during the kingdom's third wave of infections have been about the government's slow vaccination rollout. Now the public is getting more anxious, following concerns over a possible shortage of favipiravir, an important medicine used to treat Covid-19 patients with moderate to severe symptoms.