New COVID-19 anti-viral pills approved

People who have been recently infected have more options to get treated. There was a time when COVID-19 patients did not have a designated treatment. Now two more treatment options are available for people who have been newly infected. Regulators in the United States have authorized a pill Paxlovid by Pfizer and Molnupiravir by Merck last week. However, the treatment by these pills does come with a catch. They will have to be taken as soon as the symptoms of the virus appear.

Here the challenge is to get tested, getting a prescription and starting the new pill which has all to be done in a short window. The pill can be taken by high-risk patients and both indicate that they help to reduce the chances of hospitalization or death from COVID-19. It is said that the pill by Pfizer is more effective than the pill by Merck. It has to be noticed that these anti-viral pills are not for everyone who tests positive for COVID. They can be taken by people who have mild to moderate infection and those who are more likely to become seriously ill.

This can include older people and those who have other health conditions including heart problems, cancer or diabetes. Both the pills have been authorized for adults while Paxlovid is authorized for children aged 12 years and older. On the other hand Molnupiravir by Merck is not authorized for children as there are chances that it could interfere with the bone growth. The drug is also not recommended for pregnant women as it could lead to birth defects.

The pill by Pfizer has not been recommended for patients who have severe kidney or liver problems . he drug might not also be recommended for a number of other people as it might interfere with the other prescriptions that a patient is taking. The pills need to be started as soon as possible and within five days of the appearance of symptoms.

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