Antiviral pills that can be used to treat those with severe symptoms of Covid-19 are being considered at Cabinet on Wednesday.
It will feature in what is expected to be a meeting dominated by the virus.
Health Minister Stephen Donnelly is seeking approval from the Government to purchase €90 million worth of antiviral pills, which are made by Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline and MSD.
Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer has said that the drugs reduce the risk of hospitalisation and death by 89% if it is used within three days of getting Covid symptoms.
The pill also performs well against the Omicron variant, the company reported.
The European Medicines Agency is currently examining the drugs, but have yet to give full approval.
It comes as immunologist Luke O’Neill predicts an end to the pandemic in the next twelve months.
The professor at Trinity College’s School of Immunology praised the antiviral drugs, which could prove to be a game-changer.
“They released the data in December and it’s great. It decreases the risk of hospitalisation in the over 65s by 94%,” he said.
“Let’s say in February or March, you get infected. There will still be infections, because the virus isn’t going to go away – we’re just going to know how to manage it.
“So you feel a little rough and you get a test – an antigen test will suffice, probably – and you take an anti-viral and that will kill the virus. It gives about 80 to 90% protection across the board. So we have a tablet now as well as a vaccine – science has delivered both things. The anti-viral will keep things under control.”
Between the pill and booster vaccinations, among other factors, O’Neill reckons that cases will start to drop by spring.
He said: “We know a lot about this virus now – for heaven’s sake, it’s been almost two years. We have a heavily vaccinated population, which is brilliant, with a strong booster to sustain protection.
“When you put it all together, by the time we get to St Patrick’s Day, the virus will have gone away almost from Ireland, it will seem to be in the background.”
