Use of antiviral may be fuelling evolution of Covid, scientists say

Study finds evidence virus can survive treatment with molnupiravir, leading to mutated versions that sometimes spread

An antiviral drug used to treat patients with Covid-19 may be causing mutations in the virus and fuelling the evolution of new variants, scientists have said.

Molnupiravir, which is also sold under the brand name Lagevrio, is designed to mutate coronavirus to destruction, but researchers found evidence that the virus can sometimes survive the treatment, leading to mutated versions that occasionally spread to other people.