Antiviral covid pills are now here in northern Nevada. Community Health Alliance (CHA) got a limited supply of Paxlovid earlier this week.
This Pfizer COVID-19 antiviral pill received FDA emergency use approval around a month ago.
Dr. Sangeeta Wagner, Medical Director at CHA, said this pill came just in time, as we're seeing our local covid risk meter in the severe zone.
Dr. Wagner said:
It prevents the COVID-19 virus from spreading in the body by interfering with its ability to make its building blocks. So the building block proteins cant be made so the virus cannot spread in the body.
This is a limited supply though, CHA only has roughly 90 doses of the antiviral treatment to prescribe.
There are some restrictions for who is eligible as well:
- You need to be 18 years old or older, be within three to five days of when your symptoms first appeared, and be covid positive.
- A full treatment of Paxlovid is a total of 30 pills over five days -- no longer than that. It is divided up into three pills, two times a day, for five days.
You need to book an appointment by calling (775) 329-6300 for evaluation to get the prescription.
Dr. Wagner said the treatment also curbs the spread of the virus.
According to Dr. Wagner, "In terms of studies, I can tell you that there was a significant decrease in hospitalizations and death at day 28 with this medication. There was found to be a significant decrease in the viral load in patients when they had nasopharyngeal swabs done on day five. So that is how we know this medicine should decrease passing this virus onto other people if you are taking it."
Right now CHA tells the News 4 & Fox 11 Team they would like to see their supply grow to 500 doses to help reduce severe cases in our community.