Vietnam is going to use 70,000 Molnupiravir for treatment of Covid-19 patients at home
The Ministry said that now, the domestic Molnupiravir drug manufacturers are ready to sponsor the first batches of drugs with 16,000 doses.
Additional 100,000 doses will be given by September 5. At the same time, the first imported batch of Molnupiravir with more than 300,000 tablets arrived in Vietnam on August 23. It is expected that an additional 1.7 million tablets will be delivered on August 28.
At the same time, the next batch of drugs will be imported for use in the program in early September 2021.
Amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic in Ho Chi Minh City and some southern provinces, the health sector decided to begin the pilot of home-based care for Covid-19 patients to help reduce the Covid-19 overload in hospitals and deaths of people infected by Covid-19. As the coronavirus pandemic has been surging across the country, hospitals are facing a crisis-level shortage of beds and staff to provide adequate care for patients. The Ministry has kept updating treatment plans for mild-symptom patients at home.
Basing on the results of clinical trials of the antiviral drug Molnupiravir in the treatment of Covid-19 in many countries, with positive results in terms of safety and clear virus in mild and moderate patients after five days of treatment, the Ministry of Health and the HCMC Department of Health will begin the pilot of the home-based care for Covid-19 patients on August 25 in HCMC to reduce hospitalization rate and reduce mortality.
After five days, all patients will be evaluated for the rate of negative for SARS-CoV-2 virus and their illness whether is progressing to a more severe level. During the 14 days, patients will be monitored for symptoms of Covid-19 disease and side effects of the drug.
Medical experts and health workers will keep an eye on the evaluation of the pilot program results according to a scientific research protocol approved by the Ethics Committee in Research and the Ministry of Health.
