WASHINGTON, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday authorized Pfizer's oral antiviral tablets for the treatment of mild-to-moderate COVID-19, the first pill approved for COVID-19 treatment in the country.
The pill, called Paxlovid, is authorized to use in adults and pediatric patients 12 years of age and older with positive results of direct SARS-CoV-2 testing, and who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death, according to the FDA.
Paxlovid is available by prescription only and should be initiated as soon as possible after diagnosis of COVID-19 and within five days of symptom onset, according to the FDA.
The FDA's decision came as a winter surge in COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths has been reported nationwide. Enditem
