In addition to vaccines, scientists have also developed numerous Covid drugs in recent years. Which of them really bring something – especially with regard to new variants.
The corona numbers in Germany are unusually high for this time of year. The Robert Koch Institute registered 78,698 new cases on Tuesday, the incidence is 381.5. So many people are still contracting the virus.
One of them is Health Minister Karl Lauterbach. As he explained on Friday, to protect himself from a severe course, he takes the Covid pill Paxlovid. There are also other preparations that can be helpful in the event of an infection. And also those that are intended to prevent long-term effects. An overview.
Expected by many to be a miracle pill, doctors saw it early on as an “emergency nail”. Because the active ingredients Nirmatrelvir / Ritonavir are not compatible with many other drugs such as
The list of contraindications (contraindications), such as liver failure, is long. These could be reasons why it has not celebrated any notable triumphs in Germany so far. The Federal Ministry of Health has ordered one million doses of the drug. According to the doctor’s portal “Doc-Check”, only 30,000 prescriptions have been prescribed so far. Kluge regrets that Paxlovid is still prescribed far too seldom: “In fact, you have to check whether you have to stop further therapies for a few days. That’s laborious. But it’s worth it.”
However, the agent must also be administered early and then by infusion. “Unfortunately, an outpatient practice can hardly do that,” admits Kluge.
“However, they bind the pathogen so specifically that they can lose their effect on new, heavily mutated variants,” warns intensive care physician Kluge. Researchers are currently trying to find out how well the current antibody preparations can still bind the BA5 variant with all its changes.
In addition to the prescription drugs mentioned, there are also numerous preparations that you can keep in your medicine cabinet and use in the event of an infection. We name remedies for the four most common Covid complaints.
1. Paracetamol and ibuprofen for fever and pain However, experts advise not to reduce moderate fever with medication at first, because fever is an important part of the immune system and can activate immune cells. Caution: You should also have a clinical thermometer at home to check your temperature twice a day check over.
2. Decongestant nose drops for colds and sinus problems. Herbal products that support the natural function of the upper mucous membranes, such as eucalyptus and elder, also help. To care for the mucous membranes of the nose and throat, it also makes sense to use a nasal douche with a salt water solution every day.
3. Lozenges and gargling solutions for sore throats For short-term use, there are also over-the-counter medications that give a local anesthetic.
4. Phytotherapeutics such as thyme, sage, ivy for coughsThey can make it easier to expectorate and reduce the urge to cough. Some corona sufferers also suffer from particularly dry, burning eyes. The nose also feels painfully dry. Moisturizing eye drops and seawater nose drops relieve the symptoms and cleanse the mucous membranes.
Doctors are also looking for medication to counteract the long-term effects of Corona. These can also occur in patients who previously only had a mild course. An example of this is something like the pill “BC 007”. This was originally developed as a heart drug – and has also proven itself in the first long-Covid patients. “It was like a giant miracle when we noticed that the patients were free of symptoms,” explains the specialist in ophthalmology and molecular medicine Bettina Hohberger FOCUS online, who had administered the drug to patients.
However, BC 007 has not yet been deployed. This requires further clinical studies. “Actually, we wanted to start the study on the active substance BC 007 at the University Hospital in Erlangen in the spring,” said ophthalmologist Christian Mardin to “Stern”. “Unfortunately, the manufacturer Berlin Cures has not yet sent us the promised 30 active ingredient units.” Now he and his team are hoping for September as the start date.
Alternatively, the doctors would have had “very good results” with blood washing therapy in some patients. This would remove autoantibodies, which in many cases cause the long-Covid symptoms.
