Prof. Nachman Ash, Director General of the Ministry of Health, addressed last night (Thursday) in a conversation with public health students at Bar-Ilan University about the effect of the drug against Corona by the Pfizer company: "Ginger".
"There are practical difficulties," explained Prof. Ash.
"A lot of populations can't get it because of pregnancy, kidney failure and more."
"Another challenge is the need to identify patients at risk. We use transparent formulas the patients have created to locate them. There is also a logistical complexity to bring the drug to the patient's home on time and monitor patient response," said the health ministry director.
Pfizer's cure for coronary heart disease, Photo: AFP
The first shipment of Pfizer's medicine to Corona landed in Israel // Photo: Moshe Ben Simhon
Earlier last week, the Ministry of Health issued an emergency permit for the drug Paxlovid, Pfizer's antiviral drug for the treatment of corona.
Paxlobide is an antiviral drug given in tablets, and is intended to be given to corona patients with mild to moderate symptoms, who are at high risk for corona complications.
The drug is intended for home treatment, and it should be given 3-5 days from the onset of symptoms.
The duration of treatment is five days.
In addition, the Ministry of Health this week approved the drug Molnupiravir, MSD's antiviral drug for the treatment of corona.
"Israel Today" has learned that about 60,000 such treatments are expected to arrive in Israel in the next two weeks, after the Ministry of Health and MSD signed an agreement to purchase the drug.
MSD's Molnofiravir drug,
Prof. Zarqa: "Explained scenario - 2,500 patients in critical condition"
Meanwhile, the corona projector, Prof. Salman Zarqa, said in an interview with Network B today that 2,500 people are expected to be hospitalized in critical condition during the Omicron wave.
"The omicron is not yet seen to cause serious illness, but it is too early to celebrate," Prof. Zarka clarified.
"There are scenarios that speak of 4,000 patients in critical condition. The more likely scenario is 2,500. The health system will meet the amount of hospitalizations but it needs more oxygen."
Prof. Zarka, Photo: Oren Ben Hakon
Corona Department at Shaare Zedek Medical Center // Archive photo: Oren Ben Hakon,
"If we try to locate every person who has fallen ill, we will reach a situation where the economy will be disabled and all the people will have to be examined every day. It does not make sense," Zarqa explained.
"It's time to find a way to live alongside the corona. There is no intention to make a mass infection or allow it."
On the tension between the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education, he said: "There was a point of lack of coordination, it does not describe the state of work between professionals. We want the children to learn in schools but not get infected. The schools from next week will be able to perform antigen tests."
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