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The hope is that the restrictions on who can take Paxlovid will be relaxed over time. The more underlying medical conditions a person has, the higher their risk for developing a severe case of COVID-19, according to the CDC. That means you must either have certain underlying conditions (including cancer, diabetes, obesity, or others) or be 65 or older (more than 81% of COVID-19 deaths occur in in this group). But in order to qualify for a prescription, you must also have had a positive COVID-19 test result and be at high risk for developing severe COVID-19. The FDA authorized Paxlovid for people ages 12 and older who weigh at least 88 pounds. We asked Yale Medicine infectious diseases experts common questions about Paxlovid. The FDA also granted an EUA in December to a pill from Merck called molnupiravir (Lagevrio), but some studies suggest that molnupiravir has only a 30% reduction in the risk for hospitalization and death from COVID-19.Īnd as far as convenience, this medication is considered an improvement over treatments like remdesivir (approved by the FDA in October 2020), which is administered by intravenous (IV) injection. It’s important to note that Paxlovid (the brand name for the drug, which is made up of two generic medications-nirmatrelvir and ritonavir) isn’t the only pill available to treat COVID-19.

It shows clear benefit, and it really can prevent hospitalization and death in people who are at high risk.” “It's really our first efficacious oral antiviral pill for this virus. “I think it is the beginning of a ‘game-changer,’” says Scott Roberts, MD, a Yale Medicine infectious diseases specialist. government while there is a public health emergency) and, perhaps most reassuring, it is expected to work against the Omicron variant.

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The drug, developed by Pfizer, has a lot of positives: It had an 89% reduction in the risk of hospitalization and death in the clinical trial that supported the EUA, a number that was high enough to prompt the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to prioritize it over other COVID-19 treatments and it’s cheaper than many other COVID-19 drugs (it’s provided for free by the U.S. So, if you test positive for the coronavirus and you are eligible to take the pills, you can take them at home and lower your risk of going to the hospital.

Paxlovid is an oral antiviral pill that can be taken at home to help keep high-risk patients from getting so sick that they need to be hospitalized. The drug was granted an emergency use authorization (EUA) by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in December for anyone ages 12 and older who weighs at least 88 pounds, and is at high risk for severe disease. Paxlovid is the latest COVID-19 treatment that’s been all over the news. Because information about COVID-19 changes rapidly, we encourage you to visit the websites of the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO), and your state and local government for the latest information. Note: Information in this article was accurate at the time of original publication.

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