The Merck COVID Pill Will Do Fine -- As Will Pfizer's. The Real Message Is... GET VACCINATED: It's The Best First Line Defense.

Look, cutting hospitalizations / deaths by even 30 per cent is still. . . a huge win -- for people actually sick, with the virus. Merck's Molnupiravir will garner plenty of takers. This will not harm its fortunes, in any material longer term way. [Larger studies always reduce the numbers, a bit. It still. . . works.]

But you know what the real object lesson is? It is this: wherever possible, just avoid ever getting COVID -- in the first place. The best way to do that? Get vaccinated, and when you're age co-hort is eligible, get a booster. Wear a mask at your grocery. . . in sum, model safe behaviors. Make it a. . . habit. Here's the latest, from Reuters, yesterday:

. . .The drugmaker said its pill showed a 30% reduction in hospitalizations and deaths, based on data from 1,433 patients. In October, its data showed a roughly 50% efficacy, based on data from 775 patients. The drug, molnupiravir, was developed with partner Ridgeback Biotherapeutics. . . .

We won't really know how effective the two are, vis-a-vis each other, until we have around 10,000 patients on each one -- or 20,000 in total. And that is the way. . . real bio-science works. Onward, smiling into Saturday's chilly-sunset. . . but clear. Very clear -- almost luminously so. . . .

नमस्ते