GOV’T PLANS ON COVID-19 PILLS

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The government has ordered 400,000 courses of Pfizer’s pill treatment against COVID-19, bringing the total courses of secured COVID-19 pills to one million. Health experts urge that, unlike when Korea purchased vaccines, the government should dispel people’s anxiety by becoming transparent about exactly how many pills are needed and how it plans to secure them.

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On January 5th, the government signed a deal to purchase 400,000 additional sets of COVID-19 treatment pills. And in total, committing to buy Pfizer treatment pills for 602,000 patients. If we also account for oral treatment of 242,000 from MSD, pills to treat 1 million and 4 thousand Covid-19 patients have been ordered so far. Disease control authorities have not, however, disclosed how many of the oral antiviral treatment sets will be needed and how they are going to secure more supply.

[Soundbite] Ko Jae-young(KDCA Spokesperson) : "We will look at development of other treatments at home and abroad and clinical test results of the pills to assess our purchase plan."

Health experts agree that the government should disclose the details of treatment purchases just short of undermining the government’s negotiating edge. Only then can the government prevent the public chaos and anxiety experienced during the initial stages of vaccine imports.

[Soundbite] Prof. Kim Yoon(Institute of Health Policy and Management, Seoul Nat’l Univ.) : "They’re confusing people about whether it’s safe or whether we need to take other urgent measures."

The oral treatment will be administered to individuals with underlying conditions and high-risk groups. Since the pills must be taken within five days of symptoms' manifestation, the coordination of diagnosis, prescription and timely delivery is important.

If a high-risk individual is being treated at home, the process of diagnosis, prescription and delivery must be carried out quickly and flawlessly.

[Soundbite] Prof. Choi Won-suk(Dept. of Infectious Diseases, Korea Univ. Ansan Hospital) : "If the prescription-to-delivery time can be shortened, it could considerably lighten the load on the medical system."

The government aims to introduce oral treatments by mid-January and plans to announce next week detailed schedules, treatment plans and target populations.