Via practica 6/2022

Treatment options of infection COVID-19

In Slovakia, since December 2020, we have available active prevention of the infection COVID-19 in the form of vaccination, with various types of vaccines, which is clearly one of the key factors in protecting against a serious course of infection. From the summer of 2022, we also have the option of choosing from two oral antivirals – molnupiravir and PF-07321332/ritonavir, which are intended for the treatment of adult high-risk patients with a mild to moderately severe course of the disease. Medicines must be used within 5 days of the first symptoms, and payment for treatment requires confirmation of infection with a positive RT-PCR, LAMP or antigen test performed by a testing authority with the result entered into the information systems „Moje e-zdravie, IS COVID, EPIS“ and a signed informed consent. As both antivirals show clinical efficacy in all variants of SARS-CoV-2 and are well tolerated by patients when choosing the appropriate antiviral for which patient, an individual approach is needed that takes into account the present comorbidities and the degree/stage of the disease. A key role in the use of PF-07321332/ritonavir is the necessary evaluation of drug interactions, on the basis of which it is necessary to suspend/discontinue treatment, or choose another antiviral. In the paper, we deal with the use of antivirals in clinical practice, focusing on their limitations and treatment management to make it effective and safe for the patient.

Keywords: COVID-19, antivirals, treatment efficacy, PF-07321332/ritonavir, molnupiravir, interactions