What You Need to Know About Pfizer’s Paxlovid COVID Pills – NBC Chicago

As COVID cases and infections are increasing across the Chicago region and the United States, many are questioning the viral treatment of people infected with the virus, such as the use of antiviral COVID pills.

Pfizer’s Pax-Rovid Pill has been used in several recent high-profile cases, including Vice President Kamala Harris.

However, as more doctors prescribe Pfizer’s powerful COVID-19 pills, new questions arise about its performance, including why a small number of patients appear to have relapsed after taking the drug.

This is what we have ever known.

How effective are the pills and what do we know about patients with relapses?

Experts say there’s still a lot to learn about medicines, it’s Approved in December For adults at high risk of severe COVID-19 based on studies in which 1,000 adults took the drug.

Doctors have begun reporting rare cases of patients with relapsed symptoms days after completing 5-day pill therapy with Paxrovid. It prompted questions about whether those patients were still contagious and should take Paxlovid’s second course.

Last week, the Food and Drug Administration weighted. We advised against the second round as there is little risk of serious illness or hospitalization among patients with relapse.

Dr. Michael Charnes report Last month, a 71-year-old vaccinated patient had his symptoms subsided but then returned, but virus levels soared nine days after the illness.

Charnes says Paxrovid is still a very effective drug, but I suspect it may not be very powerful against the current Omicron mutants. The $ 500 drug treatment was tested and OK based on performance against the delta version of the coronavirus.

“The ability to remove the virus after it has been suppressed can vary from Omicron to Delta, especially for vaccinated people,” said Charnes, who works in the Boston Department of Veterans Affairs medical system.

Are some people susceptible to recurrence? Both the FDA and Pfizer point out that 1% to 2% of people in Pfizer’s first study saw virus levels recover after 10 days. The percentage of people taking drugs and dummy tablets was about the same. “Therefore, it is unknown at this time that this is related to drug treatment.” FDA said..

Some experts have pointed out another possibility: the dose of Paxrovid is not strong enough to completely suppress the virus. Andy Pekosz of Johns Hopkins University is worried that it could spur drug-resistant mutations.

“I don’t like losing Paxrovid right now, so I really need to make sure I’m taking Paxrovid properly,” said virologist Pekosi. “This is one of the key tools to help you turn the corner of a pandemic.”

Does Paxlovid work for vaccinated individuals?

Pfizer Tested Paxlovid Highest risk patients: Unvaccinated adults who have not previously been infected with COVID-19 and have no other health problems such as heart disease or diabetes. The drug reduced the risk of hospitalization and death from 7% to 1%.

But that doesn’t reflect the majority of Americans today. There, 89% of adults have at least one shot.And roughly 60% of Americans At some point you are infected with a virus.

“It’s the population I care about in 2022 because that’s what we’re seeing-people vaccinated with COVID-so will they benefit?” Researcher and researcher at the University of Minnesota I asked the doctor, Dr. David Boulware.

There is still no clear answer for vaccinated Americans whose hospitalization rates are well below 1%.

This may stem from a large, ongoing Pfizer study, including those who have been vaccinated at high risk. The results have not been published. The study is scheduled to end in the fall.

Pfizer said last year that early results showed that Paxrovid failed to meet the study’s goal of significantly resolving symptoms and reducing hospitalization. Recently, we have stopped enrolling people who have been vaccinated or boosted in the last year. Boulware suggests that these patients are not benefiting.

At the very least, preliminary data should be made public to federal authorities, Boulware said. “If the US government spends billions of dollars on this drug, what is its obligation to publish that data so they can develop good policies?”

Can pills be used to prevent COVID infections?

Pfizer recently reported that aggressively giving Paxrovid to families of people infected with COVID-19 did not significantly reduce their chances of catching it. But that’s not the end of the story. Pfizer is investigating several other potential benefits of early use, such as whether Paxlovid reduces the length and severity of COVID-19 in the home.

“It’s a high standard to prevent infection, but I’d like to see some data on how Paxrovid worked against serious illnesses,” says Pecos.

How many times do I need to take the pill if I take it?

Paxlovid consists of three three tablets taken twice daily for 5 days.

Who is eligible to take the pill?

Paxlovid weighs at least 88 pounds at high risk of developing severe illness and has been approved for emergency use over the age of 12.

“Patients in an authorized population Risk factor For progress to severe COVID-19, united states of america “Patients do not have to have multiple risk factors to be considered’high risk’,” the FDA said, even if they were fully vaccinated.

Are there any side effects?

According to Pfizer, the possible side effects of Paxlovid are:

• Allergic reaction. People who experience a reaction are advised to stop taking Paxrovid and call their healthcare provider. Symptoms of an allergic reaction are:
  • Hives
  • Swallowing or breathing problems
  • Swelling of the mouth, lips, or face
  • Throat pressure
  • Hoarseness
  • Skin rash

• Liver problems. Symptoms of liver problems such as loss of appetite, yellowing of the skin and white of the eyes (jaundice), dark urine, pale stools and itching of the skin, and pain in the stomach (abdomen) are possible. Pfizer urged anyone experiencing these symptoms to contact their doctor as soon as possible.
• Resistance to HIV drugs. The use of medicines can lead to some HIV medicines that will not work well in the future for untreated HIV-infected people.
• Changes in taste
• diarrhea
• High blood pressure
• muscle pain

Pfizer warned that additional side effects could also occur.