
'Every one of those deaths is unnecessary,' expert says of rising Covid-19 US death toll as tens of millions remain unvaccinated
CNN
With a first-of-its-kind antiviral pill against Covid-19 potentially headed towards distribution, the health care community may soon have another tool to combat a virus that has claimed the lives of more than 700,000 Americans.
Merck and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics said Friday that they created an antiviral pill that can reduce risk of Covid-19 hospitalization and death by 50%, and Merck said it will seek emergency use authorization from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its molnupiravir medication "as soon as possible."
"We'll be able to prescribe this to folks. They'll take a five-day course and hopefully be able to stay home, not come in for an intravenous infusion and keep folks out of the hospital. So, it's really very promising news," Dr. Jonathan Reiner, CNN medical analyst and professor of medicine and surgery at George Washington University, told CNN's Pamela Brown Saturday.

Passengers evacuate onto wing of American Airlines plane after engine catches fire at Denver airport
Dozens of passengers were forced to stand on the wing of an American Airlines plane at Denver International Airport as they evacuated the aircraft after one of its engines caught fire Thursday evening.