Tuesday April 20, 2021, 5:47 PM
Coronavirus capsules or tablets designed to treat Covid-19 at home could be ready as soon as autumn, the government has announced.
Boris Johnson said he s launched a new Antivirals Taskforce to identify treatments for people exposed to the virus, which it is hoped could stop the infection spreading and speed up recovery time.
It is hoped at least two effective treatments in either in a tablet or capsule form will be available this year.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said he hopes the government can roll them out as soon as the autumn .
Working in a similar way to the Vaccines Taskforce, the antivirals team will search for the most promising home treatments and support their development through clinical trials to ensure they can be rapidly rolled out as soon as possible.