Covid pill sought for use at home this autumn to tackle anticipated UK third wave

Antiviral medicine that can be taken in pill form at home is being sought by the government for rollout in the UK this autumn to defend the country against an expected third wave of the coronavirus.

A new antivirals taskforce is looking to identify and roll out a tablet or capsule form for at least two Covid drugs which could be taken at home after a positive test or exposure to the coronavirus.

The medicines are being sought to combat a rise in infections in the country and protect people against new virus mutations over the winter flu season.

Prime Minister: Pill to 'stop COVID-19 in its tracks'

The government has stated that the taskforce will ‘search for the most promising novel antiviral medicines’ that can be taken at home, will support clinical trials and push for the onshore manufacture of antiviral treatments.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the government aims to have at least two effective treatments this year, either in a tablet or capsule form to “stop Covid-19 in its tracks”.

Boris Johnson said: “Our new Antivirals Taskforce will seek to develop innovative treatments you can take at home to stop COVID-19 in its tracks.”

Boris Johnson ‘Another wave of Covid at some stage this year’

Announcing the plan at a Downing Street press briefing this week, the prime minister said on 20 April: “As we look at what is happening in other countries, with cases now at record numbers around the world, we cannot delude ourselves that Covid has gone away.

"I see nothing in the data now that makes me think we are going to have to deviate in any way from the road map - cautious but irreversible - that we have set out.

"But the majority of scientific opinion in this country is still firmly of the view that there will be another wave of Covid at some stage this year".

Mr Johnson said the antivirals research would help combat an anticipated third wave, including booster jabs in the autumn to tackle new variants.

India has reported 314,835 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours - the highest one day tally recorded anywhere in the world.

Variants of the virus in India, include a 'double mutant' strain, which has now arrived in England. With two new mutations in the spike protein that help it infect cells and evade the immune system, it is unknown what impact the new strain will have on existing vaccines' effectiveness.

Patrick Vallance: ‘Antivirals in tablet form are another key tool’

Sir Patrick Vallance, the government’s Chief Scientific Adviser, said: “The speed at which vaccines and therapeutics such as dexamethasone have been identified and deployed against COVID-19 has been critical to the pandemic response.

“Antivirals in tablet form are another key tool for the response. They could help protect those not protected by or ineligible for vaccines. They could also be another layer of defence in the face of new variants of concern.”

Health secretary Matt Hancock said: “We are now bringing together a new team that will supercharge the search for antiviral treatments and roll them out as soon as the autumn.

“In combination with our fantastic vaccination programme, medicines are a vital weapon to protect our loved ones from this terrible virus.”

Dr Nikita Kanani, medical director of primary care for NHS England, said: “Alongside caring for 400,000 COVID-19 patients since the start of the pandemic, the NHS has saved lives around the world through its contribution to developing the first ever treatment for COVID-19, dexamethasone."

This was done, she said "...as well as administering the first vaccine for the virus, outside of clinical trials.

“The NHS has put research into reality at record speed during the pandemic and this taskforce will now help us to identify and roll out even more new, convenient treatments for patients with COVID-19.”