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this post was submitted on 28 Jul 2023
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One half of the drug cocktail in Paxlovid is an AIDS drug called ritonavir, which is also used in a treatment for hepatitis. Aside from the humanitarian reasons for PEPFAR, there is great scientific benefit in continuing to sling that drug to immune compromised people so the science keeps rolling in, especially in South Africa with its biotechnology industry. Fucked up immune systems are the future for so many of us.
SARS-CoV-2 wouldn’t have to traverse much genetic distance to mutate around its single truly effective antiviral regimen, and going without that against current variants would suck much worse than against the original recipe. Many folks have important parts of their immune systems sapped by repeated infections, so antivirals become that much more crucial in keeping them out of the ICU or morgue. The wall of immunity is made of sand, and speedily mutating epidemic waves come in tides.
One of the shittiest outcomes here is that immunocompromised folks like insufficiently treated AIDS sufferers can become laboratories for gnarlier COVID variants. The XBB series came from somebody who was sick enough to have two variants in them at once for long enough that the strains exchanged genetic data and stepped up their game. I bet it sucked shit to be that sick for that long, too.
We’ll need to have studied ritonavir in the widest population possible if the scientists get kicked back to the drawing board on Paxlovid and roni can more fully wreck face again on paupers and plutocrats. (It’s also hard to believe Congress would stop gravy training the pharma companies benefiting from PEPFAR.) Maybe once our leaders can’t trivially concierge doctor their way out of danger, they can take some fucking plagues seriously again.
I hope those who are suffering can get their damn meds.