Newly infected COVID-19 patients have two new treatment options that can be taken at home. But that convenience comes with a catch: The pills have to be taken as soon as possible once symptoms appear.
U.S. regulators authorized Pfizer's pill, Paxlovid, and Merck’s molnupiravir last week. In high-risk patients, both were shown to reduce the chances of hospitalization or death from COVID-19, although Pfizer's was much more effective.The antiviral pills aren’t for everyone who gets a positive test. The pills are intended for those with mild or moderate COVID-19 who are more likely to become seriously ill.
Dr. Cameron Wolfe, an infectious disease specialist at Duke University Hospital, advises getting a test as soon as you have symptoms of COVID-19. “If you wait until you have started to get breathless, you have already to a large extent missed the window where these drugs will be helpful,” Wolfe said. Surging cases of the Delta variant of COVID-19, along with a noticed decline in immunity a few months after the vaccine, are leading to a call for getting a 3rd dose of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. But it's still unclear what will be recommended for people who received the Johnson & Johnson shot. Dr. Aditi Nerurkar from Harvard explains what we know and we don't about the booster shots plans.You'll need a prescription first from a doctor or other authorized health worker.
Some pharmacists may be able to administer a quick COVID-19 test and prescribe the pills all in one visit. They already do this in many states for flu or strep throat.The pills are expected to be effective against omicron because they don’t target the spike protein where most of the variant’s worrisome mutations reside. The two pills work in different ways to prevent the virus from reproducing.
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