Scientists see an influenza drug as a possible option for use as a home treatment for the emerging corona virus, "Covid-19," so what is this drug, how does it work, and what are its advantages?

The drug's name is Favipiravir, and it's been used as a treatment for influenza in Japan since 2014, and it's sold under the brand name Avigan.

The drug has already shown the potential to reduce lung damage in hospitalized "Covid-19" patients and speed up the time it takes to remove the virus from the body, according to a report in The Independent.

And unlike other treatments that reduce the severity of symptoms that appear in those who suffer from severe disease, faviravir prevents the reproduction of the Corona virus - its scientific name SARS-CoV-2 - once it enters the cells of the body.

Faviravir introduces a defective genetic material into the Corona virus, which makes it unable to reproduce and spread properly throughout the body.

The earlier the spreading process is disrupted, the better the chance for an individual to avoid developing a serious infection.

Two British trials, in Glasgow and London, are looking into the possibility of taking the drug by patients before their disease develops, and thus removing them from the hospital.

Favipiravir is currently being tried on 302 patients in a Scottish study led by Dr. Janet Scott, a lecturer in infectious diseases at the University of Glasgow.

Dr. Scott hopes that her experience will be able to show that faviravir can effectively treat "Covid-19" patients from inside their homes.

Oral

According to a previous study published in the Medical Journal Armed Forces of India, the main advantages of faviravir are that it is taken orally and can be given to patients who have symptoms but do not need to be hospitalized.

Given that most Covid-19 patients (85%) have mild to moderate disease and can be treated at home, this drug is likely to be used in large numbers of patients.

As with any antiviral, it must be emphasized that faviravir must be administered early after symptoms appear in order for it to be effective.

Its role in shortening the duration of viral clearance can also have an epidemic effect, as it can reduce transmission of the virus at home and in the community.

For her part, Dr. Janet Scott told The Independent, "Most antivirals are best used when the virus is in a period of rapid reproduction, before it actually overwhelms the body and before the immune response is the main thing that drives the disease, which is why they are better. Much early in the disease, compared to later. "

She added that she believes that people at high risk of contracting Covid-19, including the elderly and those with comorbidities, will benefit more from faviravir, if it is proven effective.

More resources

After the British government said it will allocate more resources and funds to develop antiviral treatments, Dr. Scott hopes to be able to expand her current trial and achieve results as soon as possible.

Scott said that given its use in Japan, a lot was already known about favipiravir's safety as well, adding that it had few side effects.

And last year, small studies of hospitalized patients in China yielded promising results. And the drug has been shown to reduce lung damage and speed up the speed of cleansing the body from the Corona virus. These results, Scott said, were "the basis for moving forward with our own experience."