New Antiviral Pills Help Treat Covid. Here’s How to Get Them.
Experts answer common questions about the drugs, including how they work, who’s eligible, where to find them and more.
https://www.nytimes.com/explain/2022/03/21/well/covid-antiviral-pills
PAXLOVID™ (nirmatrelvir tablets; ritonavir tablets)
Now Authorized for Emergency Use
FACT SHEET FOR HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS:
EMERGENCY USE AUTHORIZATION FOR PAXLOVIDTM
https://www.fda.gov/media/155050/download
The supply of Pfizer's highly effective antiviral pill has rapidly increased, but many physicians still aren't prescribing it.
https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/covid-antiviral-pill-paxlovid-underused-supply-rcna24200
The BA.2 omicron subvariant is leading to a rise in Covid-19 cases in the Northeast, and experts say hospitalizations and deaths could soon follow.
Paxlovid works by preventing the virus from replicating inside human cells before people get severely ill. It needs to be taken early to be effective — within five days of the onset of symptoms.
People, especially immunocompromised people who may not mount strong immune responses from the Covid vaccines, have few other treatment options; the omicron subvariant has rendered all but one U.S.-authorized monoclonal antibody drug ineffective.
Antivirals are "very valuable tools," said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, Michigan’s chief medical executive. But on pharmacy shelves in her state, she said, thousands of doses of Paxlovid and another antiviral, from Merck, sit unused.
https://www.goodrx.com/conditions/covid-19/fda-pfizer-antiviral-pill
The original price reported for Paxlovid was about $530. However, it’s since been reported that Pfizer’s antiviral pill will be available at no cost to people in the U.S. We’re unsure if the price will go up in the future when the pandemic is declared over.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) offers resources to help lower COVID-19 related costs. They offer a variety of ways to help you save. They also offer guidance for people looking for health insurance.
metmike: When/If the government runs out, if they don't keep buying and supplying it, Paxlovid will not be affordable for many people!