As many of our schools and families prepare for spring break, outbreaks of the BA.2 omicron subvariant are on the rise within the US. With Paxlovid™, the latest Covid-19 treatment in the news, we are getting questions about anti-viral treatments for Covid-19 from parents in our community.
So let me take a few minutes to share some information about Paxlovid™ a Pfizer prescription drug that is now available for the treatment of mild-to-moderate Covid-19.
What is Paxlovid?
Paxlovid™ consists of two medicines: nirmatrelvir tablets and ritonavir tablets. It was granted emergency use authorization by the FDA for the treatment of mild-to-moderate Covid-19 in adults and pediatric patients who are
- 12 years of age and older.
- Weigh at least 88 lbs.
- With symptoms for 5 days or less.
- With positive results of direct SARS CoV-2 viral testing AND
- At high risk for progression to severe Covid-19 such as obesity, asthma/COPD, heart disease, or diabetes.
Like the COVID-19 virus, this medication is also new. While all the possible side effects are not known at this time, known potential side effects include impaired taste, liver problems, muscle aches, and high blood pressure.
How to Take Paxlovid™
Paxlovid consists of 2 medicines: Nirmatrelvir (pink tablet) and Ritonavir (white tablet)
Take 2 pink tablets of Nirmatrelvir with 1 white tablet of Ritonavir by mouth two times each day – in the morning and in the evening – for FIVE days. For each dose, take all three (3) tablets at the same time.
- If you have kidney disease, talk to your healthcare provider. You may need a different dose. If you require an adjusted dose, your carton of PAXLOVID may have been opened by your pharmacist to indicate which tablets to take and when to take them.
- Swallow the tablets whole. Do not chew, break, or crush the tablets
- Take PAXLOVID with or without food.
- Do not stop taking PAXLOVID without talking to your healthcare provider, even if you feel better
- If you miss a dose of PAXLOVID within 8 hours of the time it is usually taken, take it as soon as you remember. If you miss a dose by more than 8 hours, skip the missed dose and take the next dose at your regular time. Do not take 2 doses of PAXLOVID at the same time
- If you take too much PAXLOVID, call your healthcare provider or go to the nearest hospital emergency room right away
- If you are taking a ritonavir- or cobicistat-containing medicine to treat hepatitis C or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), you should continue to take your medicine as prescribed by your healthcare provider.
Talk to your physician if you do not feel better or if you feel worse after 5 days.
For more information, see:
How to Take | Safety Info for Paxlovid