In Pakistan, the COVID-19 has claimed four additional lives in the last 24 hours, bringing the total death toll to 28,898.
The coronavirus has infected 322 more persons, according to the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC).
In the last 24 hours, a total of 47,811 samples were tested, with 322 proving to be positive, resulting in an infection rate of 0.67 percent, down from 0.77 percent yesterday.
According to the NCOC, 652 serious patients have been admitted to hospitals around the country.
Merck’s Covid Tablet
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Merck’s Covid tablet for high-risk individuals on Thursday, a day after Pfizer received approval for a similar drug.
FDA scientist Patrizia Cavazzoni said, “Today’s authorization provides an additional treatment option against the COVID-19 virus in the form of a pill that can be taken orally.”
The Merck-developed pill, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, is administered within five days of the onset of symptoms and has been found to reduce Covid hospitalizations and fatalities by 30% among at-risk persons.
