COVID-19 is mild or moderate in most patients. With a mild course, no medication is required for recovery, however, with severe symptoms, patients are hospitalized and prescribed specific therapy. Several drugs have already appeared that can affect the causative agent of coronavirus infection. One of them is Areplivir.
Taking it in the early days of the disease helps to stop the development of infection and reduce the risk of complications. However, the drug has not yet been fully investigated and there are certain restrictions for its use, primarily related to the appointment for coronavirus in children and pregnant women. To find out about the effect on these categories of patients, you should study the instructions for use of the drug.
Features of the drug
Areplivir is available in tablet form and is sold by prescription in 40 or 100 pieces in one package. The tablets themselves have a biconvex round shape and a light yellow film shell. Their active ingredient is called favipiravir and comes in a dosage of 200 mg in each tablet.
By its action, the drug is an antiviral agent. It has been shown to be effective against the SARS-Cov-2 virus, which is the cause of the new coronavirus infection. In addition, the active ingredient "Areplivir" affects influenza A and B viruses, even if they are resistant to antiviral drugs based on zanamivir, oseltamivir or adamantane.
Once in the body, favipiravir is converted into metabolites that can inhibit RNA polymerases - enzymes that regulate the replication of viral particles. The main indication for the use of pills is COVID-19. At the same time, the medication, despite obtaining admission for outpatient use and being available in large pharmacies, is recommended to be used only in a hospital, since its effect is important to control, and the dosage is calculated individually.
Can it be used by pregnant women?
Annotation to "Areplivir" contains information that expectant mothers are prohibited from drinking such pills. Those studies of the drug, which have already been carried out during preclinical tests, have shown that its therapeutic dosages cause the death of the embryo in the first trimester, and can also provoke the occurrence of malformations. The negative effect is also noted at reduced dosages.
If a woman needs treatment for coronavirus infection, then before prescribing Areplivir, you should make sure that there is no pregnancy. It is permissible to start treatment only in the case of a negative test, when the patient is completely sure that she is not pregnant. Since the active substance of the tablets is able to penetrate into the semen, when planning pregnancy, the drug is not prescribed for men either.
It is recommended to use contraception for some time after the end of taking Areplivir. It is important for women to prevent conception within one month after treatment, and for men - within three months. So you can protect yourself from the dangerous consequences that this antiviral drug can provoke. Its use is also prohibited during breastfeeding, because favipiravir can pass into breast milk.
Are children prescribed?
In addition to the waiting period for the child, children are also noted among the contraindications for taking Areplivir. According to the manufacturer's data, the medication should not be given to either young children or adolescents. The use of the drug is allowed only over the age of 18 years. Such limitations are primarily due to the lack of research on the effect of tablets on the child's body.
Those side effects that have already been identified when using Areplivir do not allow prescribing medication for small patients. Pthe reparation can cause quite serious ailments, for example, a drug can worsen blood composition by lowering the number of white blood cells (especially neutrophils), increasing triglyceride and uric acid levels.
In addition, the medication often provokes diarrhea, can disrupt liver function, cause allergies, heart problems, visual impairments and many other health problems. And therefore, despite its effectiveness in coronavirus infection, Areplivir is not prescribed for children.
