Merck Anti Covid 19 Drug Updates

I believe all of this COVID talk is not relative to this forum and should be taken off.  There is nothing that is specific to the DR.  It's an international problem and too many people have both distorted and different opinions and it undermines the value of this forum.  Some people can post their beliefs and links while others cannot.  Case and point, I am posting the following 2 links about Ivermectin.  I know many people using it and many doctors that have and are recommending it.  It was a drug made for people but is also given to horses.

A quote from one of the medical sites: "Hailed as a wonder drug for tropical diseases, ivermectin is used to treat parasitic infections in humans, pets, and livestock. This drug has alleviated the burden of river blindness and strongyloidiasis for millions of people. Read on to learn more about the uses, safety, and side effects of ivermectin."

https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A … _4KiHCwRBchttps://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A … _4KiHCwRBc

Let's all keep in mind that COVID vaccines are experimental!!!!  and are only being released because governments are pushing it as a saviour without any medical or scientific evidence to prove long term affects.

Please, let people make their own decisions and stop all of this rhetoric!

I have absolutely no objection if we cease going forward as has been dictated in the past with closed threads talking about Ivermectin and only shared the article because there are several members who have posted here on this drug and thought they ought to read quality journalism on the subject and review their own decisions. Unfortunately socal media is used by some to generate fake news and the article is enlightening.

But I do think the potential arrival of Molnupiravir which is also made by Merck (hence the thread title) is going to be helpful to DR when approved in the future and so perhaps reduce the large expenditure they currently have committed to buying Remdesevir for treatment of those that catch covid19.

The best solution of course is to get vaccinated - and you have choice here now - and not rely on drugs to help deal with the effects of the virus and the lack of vaccinations in DR may be leading to a new and significant wave. It is not mandated and it is still personal choice, but as is the case today those that get covid19 in DR and are hospitalised are the unvaccinated and are a burden to the state and should consider that especially if you are an expat.

I am not going to debate this back and forth, nor should anyone else.  You are entitled to your opinion but keep it to yourself.  There is just as much evidence that suggests over the long term (years) more people will die from the vaccine than from covid so leave it alone.

I also read the reports on  ivermectin. Improper studies in many cases and fraudulent studies in others.  Nothing yet to warrant it's use.  As there were and are doctors recommending it in DR this is relevant. 

Covid talk is relevant to this forum - absolutely relevant as long as the discussion is focused on how it applies to the DR.    Going too far off topic will get it shut down.

Everyone is entitled to an opinion and that is all it is.  Stating facts will require anyone to back them up. 

The discussions stay open as long as they stay related to DR.

Again you show your bias on picking topics to remove posts depending on who posts in the other thread. His post contradicts DR article.


Use of ivermectin reduces risk of Covid disease

Santo Domingo, DR



Using the drug ivermectin for prophylactic or preventive purposes among healthcare workers with high exposure to patients with the virus reduces the risk of presenting symptomatic Covid-19 by 74% compared to their peers working under the same conditions.

This is the result of a study carried out among 542 healthcare workers (matched 1:1), or homogenous groups, with 28 days of follow-up in two healthcare centers of the Rescue Group, a network of healthcare centers operating in tourist centers in the Dominican Republic.

The details of the study were revealed by the directors and researchers of Grupo Rescue, headed by its president, Dr. José Natalio Redondo; the director of Research, Dr. José Morgenster and the international consultant, expert in Big Data, Álvaro Olavarría, while participating in Listín Diario’s “Cita con el Covid,” hosted by its director Miguel Franjul and the journalist specializing in Health Communication, Doris Pantaleón.

The study entitled: Ivermectin as a Method of Prophylaxis Before Exposure to SARS-CoV-2 in Health Workers was an observational and retrospective cohort study matched by propensity scores, was carried out at the Bournigal Medical Center (CMBO) in Puerto Plata and the Punta Cana Medical Center (CMPC) in Punta Cana and included doctors, nurses, administrative personnel, among others.

They detailed that the study began on June 29, 2020, and ended on July 26 of the same year and that a propensity score matching procedure of the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) was applied at a ratio of 1: 1 to homogeneously evaluate 271 health professionals who voluntarily adhered to a PrEP program with ivermectin at a weekly oral (OV) dose of 0.2 mg/kg, and 271 health professionals who did not adhere to the program were assigned as a control group.

They explained that the study aimed to determine whether or not the program of prophylactic use of weekly ivermectin in a group of health workers meant a reduction in symptomatic Covid-19 infections, measured by RT-PCR, and that the results were that the ivermectin group had a 74% lower risk of having symptomatic Covid-19 than the control group.

In addition, the ivermectin group got sick 1.8% after infection, and the control group got sick 6.6%. Therefore, the margin of error identified in the study is less than 0.6%.

Face-to-face and virtual
In a face-to-face interview, Dr. Redondo and Dr. Morgenster, and virtually from Chile, the biomedical specialist Olavarría, explained that the Rescue Group prepared an internal research strategy to develop a guide for managing patients with Covid-19 from the beginning of the pandemic.

Dr. Redondo recalled that the first study carried out by them on the use of ivermectin in response to early treatment in more than 3,000 patients seen in the emergency ward determined that no case returned to the emergency ward and the mortality rate was 0.6, a third of the national rate of 1.8 at that time, and has been a source of reference for many studies around the world.

The specialists highlighted more extensive international studies that have been carried out in different countries that have given results similar to those of the Rescue Group.

Against variants
Dr. Morgenster pointed out that this drug is also effective against the Covid-19 virus variants, including Delta. In addition, it has six or seven action mechanisms, making it a solid drug to combat the virus.

He pointed out that it is of great support as a preventive measure in health personnel who are highly exposed to patients with the virus.

The vaccine is the best weapon.
However, the specialists explained that what is fundamental in the fight against Covid-19 is vaccination and that the population should be vaccinated because that is the best weapon to avoid contagion, getting sick, and dying from the disease.

“Ivermectin is not in competition with vaccines and we cannot allow in any way that we are stigmatized as anti-vaccine, because it is the opposite, however, we must know that there are still many people who have not been vaccinated, or experiencing breakthrough infections despite the vaccination, so all options are extremely important in combatting this ever-changing virus,” said Redondo.

They pointed out that they recommend their high-exposure health personnel to take the medication as prevention, even if they are vaccinated.

Controversies.
Since the onset of Covid-19 virus cases in the country in March 2020, the drug ivermectin, commonly used as an anti-parasitic, has been controversial, involving both authorities and health specialists. In the US, there has been an active campaign against the use of Ivermectin, decrying the drug as “horse dewormer,” even though high profile celebrities such as podcaster Joe Rogan have successfully been treated with the medication.

Although its use became widespread in the Dominican Republic during the pandemic, both at the level of medical indications and self-medication, it is not part of the official protocol for preventing and managing Covid-19.

The first compassionate protocol of medical use of ivermectin in the early treatment of Covid-19 was done in the Dominican Republic at the Bournigal Medical Center, Puerto Plata, belonging to Rescue.

Why don't you stop trolling the internet for old articles and read what the DR governemnt has stated:

Salud Pública RD
@SaludPublicaRD
📡ATENCIÓN: A LA POBLACIÓN. Nuestro Ministerio informa que el medicamento #ivermectina NO está recomendado para operativos médicos, ni ha sido aprobado como tratamiento para la COVID-19 en el país.
#CuidandoRD🇩🇴
#ElCambioEnSalud
#SaludConTransparencia

There is an oficila advisory to this effect from Ministry of Salud

All you posted was it not approved? Are your posted studies from the DR? It cannot be changed or you only look at what is in your little box of dreams...

And the article was from last month so your trolling your own country's newspapers.

Using Planners direction: "Everyone is entitled to an opinion and that is all it is.  Stating facts will require anyone to back them up.

The discussions stay open as long as they stay related to DR."

Stating your opinion is not only ok, it's your right.  Telling people they are wrong and you are right is not ok in a discussion forum.  This is not a court of law where one side provides better evidence than the other side.  What is right for someone may not be right for someone else and I don't believe anyone on here is GOD.

Debate is healthy, people will do their own research and come to their own conclusions. 

Force feed someone and you will always end up being wrong.

Exactly. Stick to facts and respected articles and post the link and dates too.

Including old news from 2020 regurgetated yet again.

Why not talk about DR having just received Regen-Cov - a proven treatment for covid19 rather than talking about using a non approved (by DR WHO CDC etc etc etc) medication.

RD introduces REGEN COV medicine for the treatment of COVID-19, it is the first country in LA to have this drug

https://www.msp.gob.do/web/?p=13436

We all know who are advocating these non approved medications and they have posted their opinions numerous times and planner has already closed two threads and can do the same here. We know they will not be changing their minds it appears despite having posted numerous articles from quality sources with links including the one in the opening post - which was for their benefit but derided.

Enough said.

So perhaps that discussion is over for good??

You posted two articles which have no relevance to DR since it is not authorized and your posts are not removed. I am not part of the elite so my posts are

I qualified my opening post and offered it to be brought down in my subsequent post which had DR content:

I have absolutely no objection if we cease going forward as has been dictated in the past with closed threads talking about Ivermectin and only shared the article because there are several members who have posted here on this drug and thought they ought to read quality journalism on the subject and review their own decision

I thought it good to share the deceit uncovered on promotion of a particular drug.

I would add that this article was also published in BBC Mundo and was shared by several of the Domincan daily newspapers yesterday to their readers.

I am done with this.  No matter what we do to maintain the forums there are always a few who want it their damn way.

I have volunteered for over 14 years and dealt with so many of you!  I am now done.   

You think you are so damn good, you do it!!!!

The guest of the following Show reminds 2 of the most stubborn posters of this thread.

It is a bit off topic (I beg your pardon Planner), but in the end ... not that much.

Anyway, reading your latest post Planner, things can't get worse :-)

Nightmare interview.

Guineo Verde wrote:

The guest of the following Show reminds 2 of the most stubborn posters of this threat.

It is a bit off topic (I beg your pardon Planner), but in the end ... not that much.

Anyway, reading your latest post Planner, things can't get worse :-)

Nightmare interview.

Absolutely hillarious and brilliant post, Guineo.

Thank you I needed that laugh! 

As I am no longer moderating I won't say it's off topic!