But limited supplies of Paxlovid mean the
"Canadians should be very happy today to hear that the oral antivirals are beginning to become available in
Clinical trials showed the treatment, which helps prevent the SARS-CoV-2 virus from reproducing in an infected patient, was almost 90 per cent effective at reducing hospitalization and death in high-risk patients if given within three days of infection, and 85 per cent if given within five days.
The medication requires three pills at a time, twice a day, for five days. It is the first oral COVID-19 treatment that can be taken at home to be approved in
"It is challenging, there is no doubt it," Tam said. "First of all, spotting that you may have symptoms and then getting medical attention quickly."
"There is certainly a lot of hope here," he said.
Procurement Minister
She said another 120,000 courses of the treatment will be shipped before the end of March. She did not say when the remainder of the one million doses
Neither would Pfizer Canada, though
Chagla said it's difficult to know how many courses would be enough, but he said every one helps, particularly if there are enough available for immune-compromised people for whom vaccines don't work very well.
Tam said because of supply constraints the
Severely immune-compromised patients, such as transplant recipients, top the priority list. They are followed by unvaccinated people over the age of 80, and then unvaccinated people over 60 who live in long-term care, remote or rural locations or First Nations.
Tam said prioritizing unvaccinated people is scientific and rational because they are at higher risk of severe outcomes.
"I think that as health-care providers, you don't pick and choose which patients you have coming into the hospital getting treated," she said.
Chagla said keeping unvaccinated patients out of hospital is a big help to everyone from a health-care resources perspective, and noted for most patients, being vaccinated means they aren't at high risk for serious illness.
"Getting two or three doses of vaccine probably are like having Paxlovid in your system all the time (in terms of) preventing people from getting seriously ill," he said.
It warns there are some potentially severe drug interactions between Paxlovid and other medications prescribed for ailments including prostate cancer and heart problems and narcotics including fentanyl.
This report by
Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version said two tablets were taken twice a day for five days.
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