Europe has too much COVID drug – level 2

Europe has too much COVID drug

27-02-2024 15:00

European countries quickly bought Paxlovid, an antiviral drug which is effective against COVID-19. But now, millions of unused courses are expiring soon.

The drug reduces severe illness risk by nearly 90%, which is why many countries were interested in it. But the demand decreased. Many people already got a vaccine and there are not so many new cases. Moreover, the drug has two components, which means more challenges for doctors. The drug may interact with other drugs, especially in older patients.

Europe may waste around 3.1 million unused courses worth billions of euros.

Difficult words: antiviral (a drug which people use to cure an infection a virus causes), demand (when many people want something), component (one or more parts).

You can watch the original video in the Level 3 section.

What are the potential challenges and consequences of having millions of unused courses of Paxlovid expiring soon in European countries?

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