A new drug to treat covid could create a breeding ground for mutant viruses - The Washington Post
▻https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2021/12/24/merck-molnupiravir-antiviral-covid-fda
Merck’s own research, published Thursday, explains why. It found that viable virus can still be detected in some patients on the third day of treatment with the drug. That means that for at least several days, the drug is in the body mutating the virus — but not all virus genomes have picked up enough mutations to die off. For those initial few days, then, the patient is a breeding ground for viable mutated viruses.
The first days of molnupiravir treatment present a clear opportunity for mutant viruses to be transmitted to family members or caregivers. [..,]
[…]
The worst-case scenario is worrisome. As long as #molnupiravir is in use somewhere in the world, it could generate repeated cycles of new variants, with people desperately taking the drug to fight the new variants it spawns, creating a vicious positive feedback loop while causing more suffering and deaths.