With the current COVID-19 death toll in the U.S. at more than 1.1 million and new evidence that COVID infections can damage the brain, heart and lungs, it’s clear that the disease is more than “just a bad cold.” Paxlovid, which is a combination of two drugs (nirmatrelvir and ritonavir), can lower the risk of severe symptoms and reduce hospitalizations. But not enough people are offered the drug when they test positive. A recent study by the National Institutes of Health found that only 15% of people who were eligible for the drug took it. Here’s what you need to know about Paxlovid, including who should take it and when.
How does Paxlovid work?
Paxlovid is an antiviral therapy that helps your body fight off COVID-19 faster and more effectively. In one clinical trial, Paxlovid was 89% effective in reducing hospitalization and death in patients who were not vaccinated and were at risk for severe disease.
“Paxlovid is made up of two separate medications — nirmatrelvir and ritonavir — both in pill form,” Dr. Alexander Fortenko, an emergency medicine physician with Weill Cornell Medicine, tells Yahoo Life. “Nirmatrelvir is a drug that inhibits the production of an enzyme that the COVID-19 virus needs to reproduce. The other pill, ritonavir, slows down how quickly nirmatrelvir is broken down by the liver, essentially providing a boost for it.”
When should you take Paxlovid? Is there anyone who shouldn’t take it?
Timing matters when it comes to taking Paxlovid. “Nirmatrelvir/ritonavir has to be started within the first five days of symptoms, and it has to be prescribed by a doctor,” Dr. Linda Yancey, director of infection prevention at the Memorial Hermann Health System in Houston, tells Yahoo Life. “If you would like to take the medication, call your health care provider right away, as soon as you feel sick and test positive for COVID-19.” The course involves taking three pills twice a day for five days, and patients need to finish the prescription even if they feel better.
“Paxlovid is for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients — 12 years of age and older weighing at least 88 pounds — with mild to moderate COVID-19 and who are at high risk for getting severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death,” Hai Tran, a clinical pharmacist and director of Drug Use Policy at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, tells Yahoo Life.
According to the CDC, people with a high risk of severe disease include older adults, people with other health conditions such as obesity, diabetes and cancer, people with disabilities and certain racial minorities.
However, not everyone can take Paxlovid. It’s not recommended for people with a low risk of severe disease, and it should not be taken by people with allergies to any of its ingredients, people on certain medications such as statins and Viagra, people who are pregnant or breastfeeding and those with liver or kidney disease.