Egypt approves COVID-19 pill Molnupiravir for emergency use
January 25, 2022, 6:26 pm

Egypt approves COVID-19 pill Molnupiravir for emergency use

Egypt-Cairo-Cairo tower/Pixabay

The Asharq Al-Awsat reported that Egypt’s drug authority said on Monday, Egypt approved Merck & Co’s COVID-19 pill Molnupiravir for emergency use, adding that the pill would be locally produced.

The Egyptian Drug Authority (EDA) said in a statement that the drug will initially be manufactured by five local companies, to be joined later by several other firms.

Molnupiravir is the first antiviral pill licensed for treating COVID-19 patients who are at high risk of developing severe disease and reducing the risk of getting hospitalized by the half.

The EDA said in its statement that it will only be allowed inside hospitals to make sure it is taken under full medical supervision and in accordance with the standards set by the relevant scientific committees to ensure continuous therapeutic follow-up.

Egypt has become the first country in the Middle East to issue an emergency use license for a medicine.

Separately, five-year old children are now eligible to receive the Pfizer vaccine as authorities expand the vaccination campaign to reach all age groups.

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Health Ministry Spokesperson Hossam Abdel Ghaffar noted an increase in the COVID-19 cases in Egypt, urging people to receive the vaccine and to abide by the preventative precautions.

The Asharq Al-Awsat noted that Egypt reported 1,603 new coronavirus infections on Sunday, upping the total since the beginning of the outbreak to 410,098.

Source: aawsat

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Upon arriving to participate in the summit of the European Political Community, which includes around forty heads of state in Budapest, he said, "I look forward to sitting with the elected U.S. president and seeing how we will collectively ensure we meet challenges, including the threats from Russia and North Korea." He also noted that the strengthening of ties between Russia and North Korea poses a threat to the United States as well, according to reports from Agence France-Presse.

Before Trump's victory, Rutte expressed confidence that a united Washington would remain part of the defensive alliance, even if Trump became the 47th president of the United States. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF last Monday night, he stated that both Republicans and Democrats understand that NATO serves not only the security of Europe but also that of America. He added that both candidates are aware that the security of the United States is closely tied to NATO.

On Wednesday, NATO congratulated Trump on his victory but did not address the Ukrainian issue.

It is noteworthy that the relationship between the elected U.S. president and the defense alliance was not the best during his first term in the White House. Trump criticized NATO member states multiple times and even hinted at withdrawing from the alliance unless they increased their financial contributions.

Additionally, the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the matters that complicate relations between the two sides, especially since Trump has repeatedly stated that he can end this ongoing conflict, which began in 2022, quickly. He implied that he had a peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow, while his vice president, JD Vance, revealed aspects of that plan, which stipulated Ukraine's commitment not to join NATO, thereby sending reassuring signals to the Russians.

Furthermore, many NATO member states in Europe fear that Trump might halt military aid to Ukraine after he previously criticized the U.S. for pouring funds into supporting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.