On July 21, local time, US President Biden said that he tested positive for the new crown virus, but the symptoms were mild. In a letter to the public, Biden's doctor explained that the president would have a slight snot, feel slightly tired, occasionally have a dry cough and have begun taking the antiviral drug Palo Verde
（Paxlovid）。
For the elderly, especially those who are nearly 80 years old like Biden, contracting the new crown can be very dangerous. Medical experts in the United States have popularized the health risks, available therapies and precautions for elderly patients in the case of Biden.
What are the biggest risk factors for Biden?
The biggest risk factor after covid-19 infection is age. An older person who is nearly 80 years old has a 7-fold higher risk of hospitalization and 140-fold higher risk of death after experiencing COVID-19 than a 20-year-old. Past health conditions, such as obesity, cancer, chronic kidney disease, lung disease, etc., also increase the risk of severe illness. Of course, the current Biden still belongs to the more fortunate patients with mild diseases.
The data above comes from the CDC website
Such luck is inseparable from vaccination. The immune memory left in the body by the vaccine (or pre-infection) strongly protects the infected person from severe illness. In the first wave of the Opmikharon invasion in California, patients who had no previous immune memory were much more likely to be hospitalized, admitted to the ICU, and died than those who had been vaccinated and injected.
The latest Omikejong BA.5 variant has led to a large number of new CASEs of COVID-19 in the United States, and Biden is likely to be one of these people. Although current research data on the BA.5 variant is rather limited, and while it appears to be very adept at infecting people who have been vaccinated and boosters, it is reasonable to infer that the vaccine's resistance to it is comparable to that of ba.1 and BA.2 before.
The data above, from a study published earlier this month in the New England Journal of Medicine, shows the power of vaccination and previous infections against Opmiqueron. Vaccines can significantly reduce the risk of severe illness and death
What does Biden do after he is infected?
For patients at higher risk of mild and moderate illness and severe illness, antiviral therapy is the primary measure, with the goal of preventing the virus from replicating in the human body and preventing the condition from deteriorating towards hospitalization or death.
There are currently 4 anti-coronavirus drugs available in the United States to treat outpatients. They are Biden's self-use combination oral drug Paxlovid, which consists of Nirmatrelvir tablets and Ritonavir tablets, as well as intravenous Remdesivir, monoclonal antibody Bebtelovimab, and oral monapiravir (Molnupiravir).
Which drug is best depends on the patient's previous health status, ease of access to the target drug, other drugs in use, and other factors. Palo Verde is widely used because it has been clinically proven to be very effective and is an easy-to-use oral pill.
How Paxlovid works
What are its flaws?
Palo Verde is dedicated to the treatment of some mild and moderate COVID-19 patients who do not need to be hospitalized, and is highly effective in the form of dual drugs:
The main general Naimatvir tablets are responsible for storming the battlefield and destroying the ability of the new crown virus to produce functional proteins; Vice Admiral Ritonavir tablets are an anti-HIV drug that increases the amount of the master in the blood by blocking enzymes in the liver that can be used to break down nematvir.
One clinical trial showed that treating Palo Verde within 5 days of a patient's first onset of symptoms of COVID-19 resulted in a significantly reduced risk of hospitalization or death.
However, for those who have been vaccinated or have previously contracted the new crown, the effect of Palovid is not yet known, and researchers have not seen evidence that such groups have reduced symptoms or improved more quickly because of Palo verde. Of course, there are also studies that show that elderly patients over the age of 65 who have been vaccinated still seem to benefit from this drug.
Palo Verde is an oral small molecule agent developed by Pfizer
Parovide is not a panacea. Patients with severe kidney or liver problems cannot take it, many drugs are in cahoots with it, and some patients are no longer able to use Palo Verde because of other drugs, but doctors can sometimes find ways to reconcile the conflict.
Biden is reportedly taking a blood thinner called Apixaban. This drug can interact negatively with Palo Verde. Biden's doctors have most likely asked him to reduce or suspend apixaban's use while taking Palo Verde.
What should the Biden medical team focus on?
Biden's doctors will monitor his various symptoms as well as his blood oxygen levels. If conditions such as coughing, shortness of breath, fever worsen, or if he needs supplemental oxygen, hospitalization may become necessary — doctors will administer other medications, including steroids.
Some patients experience an improvement in their condition before experiencing a "rebound" of symptoms. We don't yet know how often this rebound occurs, and whether it's related to COVID-19 treatment, but the rebound appears to be mild and doesn't pose a risk of hospitalization or death, just the possibility of extending the isolation period.
It's too early to tell how Biden's COVID-19 will evolve. But given that most mild illnesses only last for a week or so, just wait a few more days to see what will happen to the Sleeping King next.
Source:
Biden tests positive for COVID-19: An infectious disease doctor explains the risks and treatments available for the 79-year-old president
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