NEW YORK, Jan 24 —  Merck & Co’s antiviral pill will be evaluated in a large British trial as a possible treatment for patients hospitalised with Covid-19, amid the worldwide spread of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus.

The pill, molnupiravir, has been approved by Britain for use in people with mild to moderate Covid-19, but it is not known whether it would work in patients hospitalised with severe illness, and the trial, dubbed RECOVERY, will look into that, scientists said today. — Reuters