Covid patients in the UK will reportedly be offered a first at-home treatment for the virus by Christmas it has been reported.
The UK has secured enough supplies of the drug to treat nearly half a million people and the order of the drug will be delivered to the UK by the end of the year.
Lagevrio, also known as molnupiravir, was approved by the UK’s Medicine and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in November.
When announcing the approval of the new pill, Health Secretary Sajid Javid said: “Today is a historic day for our country, as the UK is now the first country in the world to approve an antiviral that can be taken at home for Covid-19.
“This will be a game-changer for the most vulnerable and the immunosuppressed, who will soon be able to receive the ground-breaking treatment.
“We are working at pace across the government and with the NHS to set out plans to deploy molnupiravir to patients through a national study as soon as possible.”
The number of detected cases of the new variant in the UK reached around 160 on Saturday as Nigeria was added to the travel red list, as of 6 December.
Mr Javid tweeted: “From 4am Monday, only UK and Irish citizens and residents travelling from Nigeria will be allowed entry and must isolate in a managed quarantine facility.”
