COVID-19 Anti-Viral Pills Are Now Available in Pharmacies (Unpublished)
Source: Evgeny Terentev / Getty[/caption]
COVID-19 has been ravaging the streets for three years.
For three years there have been much discussion on how alternative ways to receive the vaccine can help the world. In late December of last year, U.S. regulators authorized the commercial use of COVID-19's newest objector. COVID-19 anti-viral pills have just arrived at pharmacies all around the country. The pills are supposed to be used by those who are experiencing mild or moderate COVID-19 symptoms, and are more susceptible to be being hospitalized. The pills aren't supposed to be used by everyone who gets a positive COVID-19 result, and not recommended for people already hospitalized with COVID-19.
These are for EMERGENCY USE ONLY.
As of right now, there are two options on the market, Pfizer's Paxlovid and Merck's molnupiravir. They both reduce the chances for people to be hospitalized or die from COVID-19, but Paxlovid has been tested to work better than molnupiravir.
The Food and Drug Admistration and Centers for Disease Control have both confirmed the age eligibilities for the people who are allowed to take the pills. For Paxlovid, adults and pediatric patients 12 years of age and older weighing at least 88 pounds are able to take the pill. Pfizer's pill isn't recommended for patients with severe kidney or liver problems. For molnupiravir, only adults ages 18 and up are allowed to take the pill. Merck's pill isn't recommended for pregnant women because of the potential for birth defects. People over the age of 65 and adults with certain underlying medical conditions may also qualify for both pills.
Both pills are ready to combat the omicron and delta variants as well.
The pills need to be ingested within a five days of experiencing any mild COVID-19 symptoms. The treatment time for both pills is also five days. Those who do need the pills will have to endure a five-day treatment course.
People taking Paxlovid will need to take three tablets at the same time, twice a day. People prescribed molnupiravir will need to take four capsules, twice a day. The packages will also include instructions in case one forgets. The initial supply of anti-viral pills are going to be limited for now. More anti-viral options like GlaxoSmithKline's monoclonal antibody treatment are on the way.
For those in need of the pills, Health Data.gov has already provided the locations of places to go to grab them. To make it easier on yourself when searching, head to the "filter" tab to search within your state.
Click THIS LINK RIGHT HERE to search.
Getting the COVID-19 vaccine shots are still more effective in the prevention of hospitalization or death. It is still recommended that people receive the vaccine shots first, even testing for COVID-19 is going to shift soon. The Biden administration is working on launching a website where anyone will be able to order their AT-HOME test kits for free, though it has yet to make the site public. There have been viable at-home test kits already on the market. The effective-ness of some, like the LuSys Laboratories COVID-19 test kits, have been in question.
COVID-19 has claimed the lives of 5.4 million people globally, with over 300 million cases confirmed worldwide. Almost 200 million people in the U.S. have received both doses. The fight to get rid of COVID-19 has been treacherous, but seeing more advancements for the better good can provide less-anxiety.
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