"Favipiravir"

The Cabinet on Monday agreed to earmark close to 4 billion baht for the purchase of Favipiravir and rapid antigen test kits (ATK) to prepare for a new Covid-19 wave.

The Rural Doctor Society (RDS) has urged the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation (GPO) to allow domestic production of Favipiravir, warning that supply of the anti-Covid-19 drug is running out.

With two types of similar-sounding antiviral medication used to treat Covid-19 – Favipiravir and Molnupiravir – you may wonder what the difference is between the two and which is more suitable for certain symptoms.

The anti-viral medication, Favipiravir, may not offer much protection to Covid-19 patients in the high-risk group, a respiratory specialist warned on Saturday.

The National Health Security Office (NHSO), Thailand Post Distribution (THPD) and the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC) reached an agreement to deliver Favipiravir to Covid-19 patients under the Home Isolation scheme on Tuesday.

People with no or mild Covid-19 symptoms in some cases do not need to take Favipiravir, the Department of Health said on Wednesday.

The Chulabhorn Royal Academy on Monday delivered 500,000 capsules of Favipiravir to the National Health Security Office (NHSO) for the treatment of Covid-19 patients under the NHSO home and community isolation system.

The public health minister said on Monday that Thailand has enough Favipiravir anti-viral pills to treat Covid-19 patients because it is now being produced locally.

Many countries have replaced Favipiravir with the far more effective anti-viral Molnupiravir in the treatment of Covid-19 patients, Dr Manoon Leechawengwongs, a respiratory specialist from Vichaiyut Hospital, pointed out in a Facebook post on Saturday.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends the use of antiviral Molnupiravir over Favipiravir in the treatment of Covid-19 patients, a respiratory specialist said in a Facebook post on Tuesday.

Chiang Mai residents can now get free Covid-19 tests – and drugs if they test positive – without having to leave their cars.

Thailand is using some 60 million Favipiravir pills a month to treat people with symptomatic Covid-19 disease, raising concerns in a medical specialist that the virus may turn resistant to the drug.