Coronavirus: 16,000 Hong Kong patients receive new oral anti-Covid drugs with favourable outcomes, few side effects reported, authorities say

Hospital Authority has bought antiviral drugs molnupiravir, made by US firm MSD, and Pfizer’s Paxlovid, with both having been administered to patients for two weeks

Clinical effects of both drugs are generally good on patients, including those infected with Covid-19 more than once, consultant says

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Paxlovid and Molnupiravir are being used to treat Covid-19 patients in Hong Kong. Photo: Reuters

Published: 8:19pm, 26 Mar 2022Updated: 9:14pm, 26 Mar 2022

Some 16,000 coronavirus patients in Hong Kong have been prescribed two new oral anti-Covid drugs with favourable outcomes and few side effects being reported, according to the Hospital Authority.

The authority bought the antiviral drugs molnupiravir, made by US firm MSD, and Pfizer’s Paxlovid, with both having been administered to patients for two weeks.

Molnupiravir was given to 12,000 patients while 4,000 took Paxlovid, according to the authority. Molnupiravir was also prescribed at designated public clinics and care homes for the elderly.

Under the current guidance, the antivirals are only suitable for those aged 60 years and above. Photo: Yik Yeung-man

The government has not disclosed how much of either drug it has bought, citing confidentiality agreements with the manufacturers.

Grace Lui Chung-yan, consultant in medicine at Prince of Wales Hospital in Sha Tin, on Saturday said the clinical effects of both drugs were generally good on patients, including those who were infected with Covid-19 more than once.

She said that while the side-effects were relatively mild, more time was needed before a conclusion could be drawn.

Lui also reminded patients to take the full five-day course of medicine.