Chinese cat owners are feeding COVID-19 pills to pets
What's the story
Cat owners in China have started using Merck & Co's COVID-19 antiviral pills, Lagevrio, to treat feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), a fatal disease caused by a feline coronavirus. The trend has caught on on social media platforms such as Xiaohongshu, China's version of Instagram. Users are posting their experiences and tips on using these drugs to save their pets and reduce veterinary costs, Bloomberg reported.
Cost-effective treatment
Pet owners turn to affordable human antivirals
One Xiaohongshu user wrote, "COVID-19 drugs for humans saved my cat's life." Apart from Merck's Lagevrio, some pet owners are also choosing cheaper COVID-19 medicines from Chinese firms Henan Genuine Biotech and Simcere Pharmaceutical Group. Lagevrio's 40-pill bottle costs around 1,725 yuan (S$320) online and can be used to treat several cats, making it more affordable than earlier treatments.
Treatment accessibility
FIP treatment challenges and cost concerns
FIP is a cat-only disease and not transmissible to other species. Before human COVID-19 antivirals became available, the antiviral GS-441524 proved effective against FIP but was hard to obtain legally. Chinese cat owners often turned to black market suppliers for GS-441524, which could cost tens of thousands of yuan. The medications are GS-441524 knockoffs often manufactured by a variety of Chinese businesses.
HMPV
Surge in HMPV cases
The report comes amid a surge in human metapneumovirus (HMPV) cases in China. The virus, which mainly affects children, the elderly, and immunocompromised people, has been spreading rapidly in northern China. It causes common cold-like symptoms, including cough, fever, nasal congestion, and wheezing. In severe cases, it may cause bronchitis and pneumonia. Unlike COVID-19 and the flu, there is no vaccine for HMPV at present.