Although the researchers cannot say for sure whether this was a direct result of tecovirimattreatment, the results suggest tecovirimat could help to prevent progression to severe disease and shorten the time spent in hospital. They recommend a 2-week course of treatment in order to fully clear the virus.
Speaking to Medical News Today, Dr. Stephen Morse, professor of epidemiology at the Columbia University Medical Center, and director of the Infectious Disease Epidemiology Certificate Program, noted that “tecovirimat is the most effective known antiviral for the orthopoxviruses, which includes smallpox — now officially eradicated — monkeypox, and others.”
“The mechanism of action of the drug, and the relatedness of these viruses, suggests that tecovirimat should be equally effective for other orthopoxviruses, but rigorous comparisons have not been possible because of small case numbers,” he added.
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