The White House and its foreign counterparts said Monday they will hold a second global COVID-19 summit to plot a path out of the acute phase of the pandemic and prepare for future health threats.
The governments will use the virtual summit to call on world leaders and the private sector to redouble their efforts in getting vaccines into arms and deploying virus treatments to poorer nations.
“We know we must prepare now to build, sustain, and finance the global capacity we need, not only for emerging COVID-19 variants but also future health crises. To help achieve these goals, we urge all countries and stakeholders to pledge to take urgent actions to create the systems we need to end the acute phase of COVID-19, save lives, and build better health security and health systems,” the White House said in a joint statement.
the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted emergency use authorization (EUA) for the first two oral antivirals for the treatment of certain COVID-19 patients. These treatments mark a step forward in the fight against the pandemic, due to their ability to be taken at home, which can reduce the burden on both patients and the health care system. Additional treatments are also under investigation by several other biopharmaceutical companies.
the FDA approved another antiviral treatment for use in patients 12 years of age and older for the treatment of COVID-19, which is delivered via infusion in a hospital setting. That same treatment is now authorized for outpatient administration. Other types of treatments, known as monoclonal antibodies, are also delivered through infusion.
Oral antivirals, once widely available, are a significant step in expanding the toolbox of treatments outside of a hospital setting. Both of the antiviral treatments that recently received EUAs can be taken orally at home and have been shown to help reduce the likelihood a person needs to receive hospital care for a COVID-19 infection. Keeping patients at home and out of the hospital not only reduces the burden on patients, but also on the overall health care system
Emergency use authorizations (EUAs) are used in certain emergency situations, like the COVID-19 public health emergency. They may only be issued if, among other things, FDA determines that there is no adequate, approved and available alternative to the EUA product. EUAs are used to facilitate access to medical interventions, such as vaccines and treatments, during certain emergency circumstances.
While a EUA is different than FDA approval, safety standards for all COVID-19 treatments are robust and no corners have been cut along the way. COVID-19 studies are subject to the same requirements, including safety monitoring, as all drug clinical trials.
Included in the joint statement with the U.S., which chaired the first COVID-19 summit: Belize, which chairs the CARICOM group in the Caribbean; Germany, as holder of the Group of Seven presidency; Indonesia, as holder of the Group of 20 presidency; and Senegal, as the African Union chair.
Source:This news is originally published by washingtontime