With the recent announcement of the pharmaceutical company Merck developing a drug that could prevent severe symptoms from COVID-19, some are questioning: Do they need to take the vaccine?
Dr. Michael Osterholm joined News Talk 830 WCCO's Chad Hartman to discuss the pandemic, the difference between this drug and the vaccine, and his thoughts on other home COVID-19 remedies like ivermectin.
Osterholm said that the big difference between this new drug, known as molnupiravir, and the vaccine is that the drug needs to be taken within days of catching the virus to make a difference.
While molnupiravir does show that it makes a difference with COVID-19 patients, Osterholm said that those who plan on using it if they get sick instead of getting the vaccine are taking a risk.
"The key message is don't even get to that place. You don't want to play roulette with this virus with a pill; you want to get vaccinated," Osterholm said. "The level of protection with a vaccine is far, far, more important right now than even having this pill."
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One of the reasons that Osterholm says get the vaccine over the drug is because the turnaround time between getting sick and taking the medication to the point where it is effective is too quick to rely on alone.
"The challenge is you got to get the drug very quickly. You have to be able to test people and know within several days," he said.
Osterholm shared that it is essential to be clear about what the drug is for; it is not for people to rely on instead of getting vaccinated. However, he said he thinks it will make a big difference in fighting the pandemic, as early reports show it could cut hospitalizations by 50%.
Osterholm also mentioned that numerous new drugs are coming out and that the Merck pill will just be the first of what we see.
"There's a whole class of medications coming down the road we call small molecule drugs," Osterholm said.
While these medications will play a role in ending the pandemic, or at least making it manageable, Osterholm still says it is essential to know that the best route for protection is vaccination.
"We have people dying needlessly who don't have to because they could have been vaccinated and protected," Osterholm said.
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Osterholm also gave an update on the pandemic overall, expressing that the pandemic is not yet over. He pointed out that severe illness is happening among those who have not yet been vaccinated, adding more reasons to get the vaccine.
"Just in the past week, I can not tell you how many individuals I know of who have died in their 30s, 40s, and 50s, leaving behind a number of kids. All who kept saying, 'you know there isn't enough known about this vaccine,'" he said. "Well, I can tell you death is pretty well known with COVID-19."
When it comes to reports of other ways to fight the virus, such as ivermectin, Osterholm shared that no proof or data shows that taking the antiparasitic drug is helpful.
"Well, you know, first of all, it reminds me almost of people who don't believe that gravity exists because you don't see it," he said.
Osterholm shared that while there once was research supporting the use of ivermectin, it has since been withdrawn for fraudulent reasons.
"For ivermectin, this antiparasitic drug used most often in animals, we've learned number one that there is no evidence it works and in fact the one study that [showed] it worked has been withdrawn because it was found to be fraudulent, they made up the stuff," he said.
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On the other hand, he shared that research shows the vaccines are effective in fighting the virus.
"We have these studies on these vaccines that have been as extensive as any kind of medical research we have ever done," he said. "If you look at the millions of people who have been vaccinated and what it shows in terms of protection and in terms of safety."
When it comes to those taking the drug, Osterholm is left scratching his head because, as he says, there is no scientific evidence that using the drug works against COVID-19, while there is evidence supporting the vaccine's effectiveness.
