Professor discusses effectiveness of antiviral against COVID-19

There is nothing that people can take at home to ward off COVID-19, even with vaccines and therapeutics available as tools to fight off the virus.

“It was really tough,” said Raven McGregor, who recovered from COVID-19. “I lost my taste and smell. I felt just very tired all the time. The worst part was just not being able to breathe.”

McGregor caught the virus early in the pandemic and said she was sicker than she had ever been in her life. She was not hospitalized.

“I feel so fortunate and blessed,” McGregor said. “I literally thank God all the time that I made it through.”

Ralph Baric is a distinguished professor at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health.

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“The therapeutic window is the first six days of infection,” Baric said.

His team helped to develop Remdesivir, which is the first drug on the market to fight COVID-19.

Now the team is working on a new drug, called molnupiravir, that potentially could have a much bigger impact .

“It’s a very effective antiviral against all coronavirus, and it also has some activity against some emerging viruses,” he said.

The main advantage molnupiravir has over other treatments is that it comes in pill form, which means once approved, a person can get it as soon as they are diagnosed.

“That’s always been the game-changer,” Baric said. “How can we get?”

[CORONAVIRUS IN THE CAROLINAS: HERE’S HOW TO STAY INFORMED]

In the video at the top of this webpage, learn more about the possible effectiveness the drug has in the fight against COVID-19.

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