I Have Covid. Should I Take Paxlovid?

We asked experts about who should take the antiviral medication, how well it works and where to get it for free.

When My Mom Got Covid, I Went Searching for Pfizer’s Pills

The experience showed how hard it is for many people to get potentially lifesaving treatments.

Doctors Aren’t Prescribing Paxlovid Often Enough. Here’s Why

Other reasons were that “not enough is known about the drug” and that it has too many side effects (nausea, diarrhea and a metallic taste). Some medications which are contraindicated with Paxlovid, like statins, could be stopped for the few days needed for Covid-19 treatment. Alternatively, patients could be given molnupiravir, an alternative antiviral. Practitioners are overly concerned about possible rebound Covid-19 symptoms. The Centers for Disease Control found no clear association between treatment and rebound, and it recommended that the concern not deter treatment.

Paxlovid Cuts Covid Death Risk. But Those Who Need It Are Not Taking It

It’s not because people don’t know about the drug — most do — but the reluctance seems to come from doctors worried about interactions with other drugs and people wary of a possible rebound case or the metallic aftertaste.

Paxlovid vs. Molnupiravir for COVID-19

Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir and ritonavir) and molnupiravir are two oral antiviral treatments that are authorized to treat mild to moderate COVID-19. These COVID-19 pills are only recommended for people with a high risk of developing severe illness.

The New COVID Drugs Are a Bigger Deal Than People Realize

Outpatients who had both COVID-19 and medical conditions that put them at high risk of severe illness were 89 percent less likely to be hospitalized if they received Paxlovid twice daily for five days than if they got a placebo.

Beyond Paxlovid for covid-19: Scientists are scrambling to make better covid antiviral medications

With the pandemic showing no signs of slowing, the hunt for the next generation of covid treatments is speeding up. Pfizer and Merck — the makers of Paxlovid and molnupiravir, respectively — already have potential drug candidates that work better, or are easier to take, in their development pipelines.

F.D.A. Clears Pfizer’s Covid Pill for High-Risk Patients 12 and Older

A clinical trial indicated that Paxlovid is highly effective when taken soon after people start feeling sick. In a final analysis of a key study conducted while the Delta variant was surging, Pfizer’s drug reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by 88 percent when given to high-risk unvaccinated adults within five days of the start of their symptoms.

Here’s What Scientists Know About Paxlovid Rebound

“The virus hasn’t been killed by the drug, but only blocks its replication. There is still a reservoir of viral material, so for a virologist, that’s the first thing we think of. Once the drug is washed out, that reservoir can become active again.”

I’m Young and Healthy. Should I Take Paxlovid?

The serious COVID-19 complications it is designed to prevent—namely hospitalization and death—are already rare among people who are young and healthy, and research from manufacturer Pfizer suggests Paxlovid does little to eliminate routine symptoms among lower-risk people. Based on these findings, Pfizer stopped studying Paxlovid among “standard risk” patients in 2022.

Paxlovid Has a Slew of Downsides. It’s Not Here to Stay

Scientists are experimenting with antivirals to come up with something better.

Paxlovid Mouth Is Real—And Gross

“​​I imagine this is what grapefruit juice mixed with soap would taste like.”

Pfizer’s Covid-19 Pill Is Authorized in U.S.

“This breakthrough therapy, which has been shown to significantly reduce hospitalizations and deaths and can be taken at home, will change the way we treat Covid-19,” said Pfizer Chief Executive Albert Bourla.

Rebound COVID Is Just the Start of Paxlovid’s Mysteries

There’s plenty more to learn about the lifesaving antiviral COVID treatment.

Reviews uncover no consistent link between antiviral drugs like Paxlovid and COVID rebound

Two systematic reviews by US federal agencies on the possible link between antiviral treatment for COVID-19 and viral rebound—one specifically on Paxlovid—find no consistent association. The studies were published today in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Study shows more evidence Paxlovid doesn't cut risk of long COVID

Paxlovid might help shorten and diminish a COVID-19 infection, but the antiviral doesn't reduce the risk of developing long COVID, a new study shows.

The FDA Just Authorized the First COVID-19 Pill, a Pfizer Drug That Can Be Taken At Home

The drug, Paxlovid, is a faster, cheaper way to treat early COVID-19 infections, though initial supplies will be extremely limited. All of the previously authorized drugs against the disease require an IV or an injection. An antiviral pill from Merck also is expected to soon win authorization. But Pfizer’s drug is all but certain to be the preferred option because of its mild side effects and superior effectiveness, including a nearly 90% reduction in hospitalizations and deaths among patients most likely to get severe disease.

WHO recommends highly successful COVID-19 therapy and calls for wide geographical distribution and transparency from originator

WHO made a strong recommendation for nirmatrelvir and ritonavir, sold under the name Paxlovid, for mild and moderate COVID-19 patients at highest risk of hospital admission, calling it the best therapeutic choice for high-risk patients to date. However, availability, lack of price transparency in bilateral deals made by the producer, and the need for prompt and accurate testing before administering it, are turning this life-saving medicine into a major challenge for low- and middle-income countries.

Why does Paxlovid make things taste bitter?

he COVID-19 remedy’s unpleasant side effect—known as “Paxlovid mouth”—comes from its effects on the tongue’s taste receptors.