The US Food and Drug Administration has authorized the antiviral pill made by Pfizer, called Paxlovid, for the treatment of COVID-19.

This is the first antiviral pill against COVID-19 to be authorized for sick individuals to take at home, before they get sick enough to need hospitalization. The pill can be taken by high-risk individuals, 12 years of age and older, weighing at least 88 pounds, having a positive SARS-CoV-2 test result. The drug has to be prescribed by a doctor.

An FDA statement said that the pill should be given as soon as possible after diagnosis and within five days of onset of symptoms. It is a combination of nirmatrelvir and ritonavir, to be given as three pills twice a day for a duration of five days… (CNN, December 23, 2021)