The Chinese-Japanese rivalry over favipiravir is an example of how coronavirus treatments have become a political as well as a medical issue
TOKYO—A drug called favipiravir has set off a diplomatic tug of war between geopolitical rivals Japan and China, both of which are offering it to other nations as a gesture to fight the coronavirus pandemic.
What makes the rival diplomacy unusual is the lack of solid evidence that either country’s pills can help virus victims. No peer-reviewed research suggests the drug’s efficacy in fighting Covid-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, and previous studies show favipiravir could cause birth defects if taken by pregnant...President Trump’s announcement that the U.S. would halt funding to the World Health Organization draws criticism, U.S.
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