Mia Malan Profile picture
Feb 17 10 tweets 6 min read
BREAKING: [Thread]
1. @SAHPRA1 has given emergency authorisation for the importation of the #COVID19 treatment molnupiravir (provided by the drug company MSD)

2. What is molnupiravir? It's an antiviral pill that can lower your chances of falling seriously ill or dying from COVID
2. With which conditions does @SAHPRA1's authorisation of molnupiravir come?

1. The pills can initially only be imported for 6 months
2. There's a limit on the nr of pills that can be imported (nr = not mentioned in the press release)
3. Only people of 18+ can use it
3. How well does molnupiravir work?
If taken within 5 days after the 1st #COVIVD19 symptoms, it can:
1. Lower the risk of hospitalisation by 30% in unvaccinated, high-risk COVID patients
2. Reduce the risk of dying from COVID by 89%

nejm.org/doi/full/10.10…
4. How does molnupiravir work?
It muddles with the genetic material of #SARSCoV2 and confuses the virus while it’s copying itself. This causes so many errors that there are no more functional copies of the virus 2 go around. In short, it causes the virus to mutate 2 death.
5. Who can't use MSD's molnupiravir tablets (called LAGEVRIO) in SA?
1. People younger than 18
2. It's not recommended for pregnant people
6. What's the difference between molnupiravir and #COVID vaccines?
1. The pills don't replace vaccines
2. They're merely an addition to the world's medicine cupboard to help us manage #COVID19
7. How much do MSD's molnupiravir pills cost?
1. You need 40 tablets (within 5 days after symptoms)
2. No price for SA has been announced yet
3. In India it can be produced for R7.50 per pill (R300 per course)

bit.ly/3sM1YY7
8. Does @SAHPRA1's approval of MSD's molnupiravir mean @HealthZA has to buy it?

No. It merely means Sahpra says it's safe and effective use (with conditions).

The private health sector will be able to buy the tablets.
9. Will molnupiravir be made locally?

Yes. Cipla is producing the drug, but doesn't yet have Sahpra approval to sell it in SA. Their application is being reviewed. More here via @A_AbdoolKarim: bit.ly/3sM1YY7
10. Which other countries have approved molnupiravir?

Amongst others, the US and UK.

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More from @miamalan

Feb 18
JUST IN: [Thread]

1. South Africa, Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal and Tunisia are the 1st six countries who will receive technology transfer to produce #mRNA vaccines as part of the WHO's mRNA tech transfer hub. ImageImage
2. What is tech transfer? It's sharing the "know how" of how to produce jabs, in addition 2 the recipe. It's a little like putting together a piece of DIY furniture: You need the different pieces to put together but also instructions on how to do it plus the tools to do it with. Image
3. What is the WHO's mRNA transfer hubs?

1. One of the hubs will be based in SA
2. The hubs in low- and middle-income countries will work with local companies, scientists + academics to figure out the methods for making specific jabs

bit.ly/3gWZu3S Image
Read 4 tweets
Feb 16
[Thread] 1. How fast is BA.2 (a subvariant of the #Omicron variant) spreading in SA and is it making people sicker than BA.1 (the original form of #Omicron)?

Cheryl Cohen, @nicd_sa:
2. What is BA.2?
1. It is a new form (scientists call it a sub-variant or new lineage) of the #Omicron variant
2. BA.2 has been detected in 145 countries
3. Data from the UK and Denmark suggest BA.2 is more transmissible than BA.1 (so it spreads faster)
3. How widely has BA.2 spread in SA?
1. BA.2 (one of the new forms of #Omicron) has taken over from BA.1 (original form of #Omicron)
2. Look at the graph:
- Light orange = BA.1
- Dark orange = BA.2
Read 15 tweets
Feb 14
JUST IN: 1. [Thread]
1. 63 civil society orgs in SA have written an open letter to #Moderna to immediately withdraw the mRNA vaccine patents it has filed in SA
2. Why? They says the patents pose long term barriers to local production of #mRNA vaccines ImageImage
2. What about #Moderna's #COVID19 jab?
1. Moderna = pledged not 2 enforce patents on its jab 4 the duration of the pandemic
2. But the company = filed several patents with broad claims in SA, prompting fears it will begin enforcing patents while COVID = still endemic in Africa
3. Has #Moderna agreed to join and help Africa with local production via the WHO's #mRNA hub?

No. They're refusing to be part of the hub or to share their know-how. That's why SA's Afrigen has had to decipher their #COVID19 vaccine recipe. bit.ly/3Js0YiF
Read 4 tweets
Feb 8
[Thread] 1. Why are #Omicron infections in SA decreasing slower than what they increased?
@Dr_Groome of @nicd_sa:
1. 4th wave’s downward slope = plateaued. We’ve had similar nrs of new #COVID19 cases for 3 weeks
2. 4th wave downward slope (graph) = not as steep as upward slope
2. Is the number of #COVID19 infections per 100 000 people increasing in any province?

1. Yes, it's increasing in MP, FS, GP, LP (if we compare the past 7 days with the previous 7 days)
2. In coastal provinces (WC, KZN, EC) cases are decreasing
3. Is the % of #COVID19 tests coming out positive (test positivity rate) increasing in any province?

1. Yes, over the past 3 weeks the test + rate has increased in GP, FS, MP, LP (black line on graph)
2. But the test + rate declined in coastal provinces (WC, EC, KZN) and NC.
Read 15 tweets
Feb 7
BREAKING [Thread] @sahpra1 has registered the Chinese #COVID19 jab of #Sinopharm 4 people of 18+:

1. Internationally, the jab = known as Sinopharm/ BBIBP
2. It was originally developed by the Beijing Institute of Biological Products
3. It’s given as 2 injections, 2-4 weeks apart
2. Who applied for @sahpra1 approval?
1. International companies can’t apply directly to Sahpra 4 authorisation. They have to use a local company
2. #Sinopharm (a Chinese state-owned company) partnered with MC Pharma, a SA pharmaceutical company
bit.ly/3sp7BeP
3. Don’t get confused: Two local companies have applied with @sahpra1 for authorisation use of #Sinopharm’s #COVID19 vaccine:
1. MC Pharma (this is the application that’s been approved)
2. LHC Pharmaceuticals (this application has not yet been approved)
Read 21 tweets
Feb 3
Q & A thread (questions asked on #Twitter):
1. When will SA start 2 vax kids between 5 + 11?

1. No jab has been registered for 5-11 in SA
2. @SAHPRA1: #Pfizer (they have a jab for 5-11) hasn't yet applied 4 authorisation, but has indicated an intention to apply
2. Can we use our current #Pfizer stock if Pfizer gets authorisation for vaxxing kids between 5-11?

1. No.
2. Why not?
@healthza: "Kids between 5-11 get a different dose than people of 12+, so we'd need to order those jabs/vials."

More here: mayocl.in/3gl8r6H
3. Will you get an sms from the #EVDS 2 tell you it's time 4 your #COVID19 jab booster?

1. No, not yet.
2. Why not?
@heatlhza: "We have sent over 300 million sms's and need to move some budget for this next lot. It costs 16c per sms + 32c if characters run over to a 2nd sms."
Read 6 tweets

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