Nature Nirmatrelvir plus ritonavir received Emergency Use Authorization for treating mild to moderate COVID-19 in high-risk patients. Its efficacy against the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 remains uncertain. This retrospective cohort study assessed the effect of nirmatrelvir–ritonavir in preventing severe disease progression and long COVID symptoms after acute COVID-19 in non-hospitalized adults. SALAMA medical records from Dubai’s COVID-19 healthcare centers between May 22, 2022, and April 30, 2023, were used to identify 7290 eligible patients, 9.6% of whom received nirmatrelvir–ritonavir. Treatment was associated with a notable reduction in COVID-19-related hospitalizations (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] of 0.39; 95% CI, 0.18–0.85) by day 28 of symptom onset. Moreover, nirmatrelvir–ritonavir was associated with fewer long COVID symptoms (adjusted HR of 0.42; 95% CI, 0.19–0.95). This suggests the significant effectiveness of nirmatrelvir–ritonavir against the Omicron variant, reducing both severe and long-term COVID-19 symptoms.
Fair Use Notice
UNMC Global Center for Health Security staff curate publicly available news and information for educational and informational purposes. Brief excerpts of published articles may be displayed under principles of Fair Use, with credit and links provided to the source publications. All copyrights remain the property of their respective owners.