Paxlovid Has Been Granted Emergency Use Authorization To Treat the COVID-19 Infection. 

Transcript:

This week's Ask Dr. Durie comes from a patient with a very important question. They've heard about a new pill produced by the Pfizer company that is very active against the COVID-19 infection. 

The name of this pill is Paxlovid and indeed it is a very important new anti-virus medicine that works well against the COVID-19 infection. 

There are available fact sheets for patients and healthcare workers, and these are attached on the IMF website. 

The excitement arose because in the trials with Paxlovid, the reduction in the complications from Covid-19 was 88, so there was an 88 percent reduction in serious complications if you took the treatment with Paxlovid, which is by mouth twice a day for five days. 

Really rather an easy therapy and really quite exciting to have this oral option available. The big problem right now, unfortunately, is that it is in extremely short supply. 

And so, if it turns out that you have a positive COVID-19 test result, it's extremely important to talk to your doctor right away so that the doctor can start exploring if there is a pharmacy close by that does have the Paxlovid in stock and if that prescription for you can be sent in as soon as possible so that you can get this medication. 

For now, it's a little bit frustrating that the Paxlovid is in short supply. But moving forward in the next six months, we're always very hopeful that this will be more routinely available and an excellent option to reduce problems with the COVID-19 infection.