Toxicology Journal: Paxlovid

This journal entry pertains to an article by Tom Blackwell: “Pfizer anti-COVID pill’s dangerous interaction with common drugs will narrow its benefit, experts say” (2022). The report explains that Pfizer’s Paxlovid may reduce hospitalisations among COVID-19 patients by 89% (Blackwell, 2022). As its title suggests, however, the article emphasises prospective risks for patients with other conditions: Pfizer’s antiviral can interact dangerously with various treatments, including epilepsy drugs and blood thinners (Blackwell, 2022). With respect to toxicological disciplines, the issue likely applies most specifically to regulatory toxicologists, epitomising the importance of clinical research and postmarketing surveillance.

Ultimately, Blackwell’s article compels me to consider the past 2 years: our country’s overall approach to SARS-CoV-2. Political partisanship has arguably affected the government’s COVID-19 response (Hart et al., 2020), exacerbating misinformation while jeopardising public confidence in Canada’s healthcare system. With so much uncertainty, it is especially crucial for journalists and leaders to encourage debate. Censorship can undermine transparency: if certain perspectives are demonised and silenced, the obstruction may deprive society of pivotal truths. China, for instance, allegedly suppressed initial research into COVID-19’s aetiology, obscuring the severity of SARS-CoV-2 (BBC, 2020). Presently, the virus’s origin remains unclear, and suspicion persists amidst numerous controversies (Lewandowski et al., 2022). If China had welcomed a multinational inquiry, immediately striving for honest collaboration, perhaps the effort could have restricted the pathogen to Hubei’s contiguous provinces. Unfortunately, the earliest response was inadequate, and COVID-19 will likely prevail endemically across the globe (Phillips, 2021).

As the pandemic lingers, Canada should prioritise cooperation and compassion. With valid concerns on both sides of the political spectrum, it's thoroughly wrong to impose rules as though one way is absolutely the best reflection of objective truth. When it comes to mandates and restrictions, for example, significant divide endures among our citizens, suggesting that biased policies are horribly disrespectful of each person’s autonomy. Considering Paxlovid’s reported success, the inhibitors constitute valuable options in Canada’s prophylactic arsenal. Nevertheless, as Blackwell’s story demonstrates, balanced narratives are vital to sufficient public awareness. Articles exploring social dilemmas should address potential consequences equitably, promoting informed decisions through fully accessible content.

References

BBC. (2020, December 29). China Covid-19: How state media and censorship took on coronavirus. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-55355401

Blackwell, T. (2022, January 25). Pfizer anti-COVID pill’s dangerous interaction with common drugs will narrow its benefit, experts say. National Post. https://nationalpost.com/health/pfizer-anti-covid-pills-dangerous-interaction-with-common-drugs-will-narrow-its-benefit-experts-say

Hart, P. S., Chinn, S., & Soroka, S. (2020). Politicization and polarization in COVID-19 news coverage. Science Communication, 42(5), 679–697. https://doi.org/10.1177/1075547020950735

Lewandowsky, S., Jacobs, P., & Neil, S. (2022). Conspiracy theories made it harder for scientists to find the truth. Scientific American, 326(3), 72–77. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-lab-leak-hypothesis-made-it-harder-for-scientists-to-seek-the-truth/ 

Phillips, N. (2021, February 16). The coronavirus is here to stay—here’s what that means. Nature. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-00396-2

Utataneko. (2021). PF-07321332 str [Illustration]. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:PF-07321332_str.svg
The image is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.