The FDA approves Pfizer’s Covid tablets for people 12 years of age or older

The FDA said gave emergency permission Pfizer antiviral Paxlovid tablet, making it the first oral method for treating patients with mild or less COVID-19. This service is for people at high risk of 12 years or older who are more likely to be exposed to the deadly COVID virus. The best part? The FDA says it could be available for use in a matter of days, making it another tool as we come across the Omicron model.

Paxlovid is medically available, and should be taken within 5 days after you notice any signs of COVID. According to Pfizer tests, it could prevent hospitalizations or death by 88 percent of high-risk patients. The drug, which can be given to both vaccinated and non-vaccinated people, consists of 30 tablets that are taken for five days. It also contains the protein inhibitors nirmatrelvir and rotinavir, which prevent the inhibitor from invading your body. Side effects include loss of appetite, high blood pressure, diarrhea, and muscle aches.

“This license provides a new tool for combating COVID-19 at a critical time in the epidemic as new species emerge and promise that antiretroviral treatment may be available to patients at high COVID-19 risk,” Drs. Patrizia. Cavazzoni, director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said in a statement.

So far, the US has ordered enough pills to treat 10 million people The New York Times reports. The company plans to deliver 65,000 American pills within a week. After that, production is expected to rise, with 150,000 courses being offered in January and 150,000 in February. It may no longer be the only anti-virus pill around: Merck’s competing treatment is expected to be approved soon, and is more readily available than Pfizer. Merck’s choices aren’t really helpful, though — tests show it can prevent sleep deprivation or death by 30 percent. (However, it is better than not having help.)