What is Paxlovid? (Wired). One of the better explanations of how this drug works against COVID

from npr.org

https://www.wired.com/story/what-is-paxlovid/

I found this to be timely and interesting.

As a physician, my advice (and what I continue to do now for myself, my patients, at this point in our Covid world):

  • Continue masking when indoors in public, mask off ok outdoors
  • I’m not eating at establishments indoors: I look for outdoor dining OR take out
  • Keep up with Covid vaccinations (I’m currently at 4 total, and likely will continue every 6-month boosters)
  • For patients with: diabetes, cancer, kidney disease, immune disorder, or over 65: Paxlovid within 5 days of onset of symptoms if test positive for Covid, with main purpose NOT to stop symptoms, but to avoid hospitalization and severe illness.

At UCHealth, we still have test positivity rates in the 20% and 30%, which is a major underestimate of the illness, since there is widespread availability of home Covid testing, none of which is reported publicly. We are still seeing a substantial number of hospitalizations with Covid illness. The pandemic is changing, but this thing isn’t over y’all.

Stay well out there.

Author: CT Lin

CMIO, UCHealth (Colorado); Professor, University of Colorado School of Medicine

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