Agreed - so long as Paxlovid (or some other therapy) is actually 90% effective. And even if it is, the remaining 10% might be a sticking point for whoever it is in the FDA that approves clinical trials. Who wants to be the person who approved a trial that killed somebody? Not as direct as that as it's not a single person, but still.

I had a swimming buddy who's son had T1DM. So my buddy (a hotshot engineer) came up with a closed-loop wearable insulin device. Getting the FDA to OK a study was a major process - and that's for a medical device - the FDA has a reputation of being much "looser" with devices than medications / vaccines.

As a side note, he set his corp up so the patent rights would be free-to-all - so he's a hero in my book.

Aaaand I dropped out of swimming about 6 years ago (brain infection, long hospital stay after surgery, had to relearn walking, pandemic happened just as I was getting back in the water), so I haven't seen him since then.

It's probably already an approved device, improving the lives of people with T1DM.