Beijing to supply Pfizer's oral medicine due to the rapid spread of the corona virus

Recently CNN.co.jp reported the following:

北京市、ファイザー製飲み薬を供給へ　コロナ急拡大で

2022.12.27 Tue posted at 17:21 JST

  北京（ＣＮＮ） 中国の北京市は新型コロナウイルス感染の急拡大を受け、市内の地域保健センターを対象に米ファイザー製の経口抗ウイルス薬「パクスロビド（日本ではパキロビッドパック）」の供給を開始する。

国営の中国新聞社（ＣＮＳ）が２６日に伝えたところによると、地域の医師らが研修を受けたうえで、新型コロナ感染者に処方する。

パクスロビドは外国製の新型コロナ治療薬としては唯一、中国全土での使用が認められている。ただし入手は極めて難しく、今月初めに国営企業が発売した際には数時間で完売していた。

中国ではもう一つ、国内の製薬会社、河南真実生物科技が開発した経口薬「アズブジン」も認可されている。

中国の「ゼロコロナ」政策が撤回されてから、習近平（シーチンピン）国家主席は沈黙を続けてきたが、中国国営中央テレビ（ＣＣＴＶ）は２６日、同氏が新たな感染拡大を認め、「的を絞った」戦略の必要性を強調したと伝えた。

共産党機関紙の人民日報によると、北京市では救急医らが飲食の時間もなく感染者への対応に追われている。発熱の症状があるのに休めないと語る医師もいた。

同市には他地域からも数百人の医療従事者が応援に駆け付けている。

専門家らは、来年１月の春節（旧正月）で多くの人々が帰省し、ワクチン接種率が低く医療体制も手薄な農村部にも感染が拡大する事態を警戒している。

Translation

   Beijing (CNN) The Chinese city of Beijing had decided to supply Pfizer's oral antiviral drug Paxlovid (in Japan called Pakilovidpacto) to community health centers in the city amid the rapid spread of the new coronavirus. Start.

The state-run China News Agency (CNS) reported on Monday that local doctors would be trained to prescribe the drug to patients infected with the novel coronavirus.

Paxlovid was the only foreign-made COVID-19 treatment approved for use throughout China. However, they were extremely difficult to obtain and sold out within hours when the state-owned company released them earlier this month.

China had also approved another oral drug, Azvudine, developed by a local pharmaceutical company Henan Zhenzhen Biotechnology Co.

President Xi Jinping had remained silent since China's "zero-corona" policy was withdrawn, but China's state-run Central Television (CCTV) said on Monday that he had acknowledged a new outbreak and he stressed the need for a strategy of "target focus".

According to the People's Daily, the Communist Party's official newspaper, emergency doctors in Beijing were busy dealing with infected people without time to eat and drink. Some doctors said they couldn't rest even though they had fever symptoms.

Hundreds of medical workers from other regions had also rushed to the city to help.

Experts warned that many people could return to their hometowns during the (Lunar) New Year holiday in January next year, and the infection could spread to rural areas where vaccination rates were low and medical systems were weak.

              So, China’s "zero-corona" policy has been withdrawn. Experts warn that many people will return to their hometowns during the coming Lunar New Year holiday in late January, and the infection could spread to rural areas where vaccination rates are low and medical systems are weak.

 Note:

1. Nirmatrelvir/ritonavir, sold under the brand name Paxlovid, is an oral medication developed by Pfizer and used as a treatment for COVID-19. It contains the antiviral medications nirmatrelvir and ritonavir. (Wikipedia)