On Dec. 22, The Food and Drug Administration authorized the first pill to defend against the severe illness of COVID-19.
The pill is called Paxlovid and is for patients ages 12 and over who are vulnerable to serious illness caused by the virus. It is also meant to safeguard the same age group from medical complications caused by the virus’ effects on those with conditions such as diabetes or obesity. Vaccinated and unvaccinated people are eligible for the pill if they are infected with the virus.
For the treatment to work, you must take 30 pills over five days. The pill is also said to be effective against the fast-spreading Omicron variant, according to Pfizer’s laboratory studies.
There should be enough pills to cover 10 million people, and within a week of the authorization, Pfizer is expected to deliver enough pills to cover 65,000 Americans. The cost of the pill will be roughly $530 per patient.
The F.D.A says in order to get the pills, patients must test positive for the virus and get a subscription from their health care provider within no more than five days of when their symptoms start.
In January, Pfizer is expected to deliver 200,00 treatment courses to the United States, and another 150,000 treatment courses in February.
