Oral Antiviral Use Reduces COVID-19 Risk

The journal Annals of Internal Medicines published Original Research today that concluded the overall risk for hospitalization, or death was already low (1%) after an outpatient diagnosis of COVID-19, but administering Nirmatrelvir plus Ritonavir reduced the health risk even further.

The results of this study were published on December 13, 2022.

The U.S. National Institutes of Health-funded study assessed whether nirmatrelvir plus ritonavir reduces the risk of hospitalization or death among outpatients with early COVID-19 in the setting of overall SARS-CoV-2 immunity and immune-evasive SARS-CoV-2 lineages.

During the study period, 12,541 (28.1%) patients were prescribed nirmatrelvir plus ritonavir, and 32,010 (71.9%) were not.

Patients prescribed nirmatrelvir plus ritonavir were more likely to be older, have more comorbidities, and be COVID-19 vaccinated.

The composite outcome of hospitalization or death occurred in (0.55%) of patients who were prescribed nirmatrelvir plus ritonavir and (0.97%) who were not (adjusted risk ratio, 0.56 [95% CI, 0.42 to 0.75]).

Furthermore, the recipients of nirmatrelvir plus ritonavir had a lower risk for hospitalization (adjusted risk ratio, 0.60 [CI, 0.44 to 0.81]) and death (adjusted risk ratio, 0.29 [CI, 0.12 to 0.71]).

The researchers concluded the use of nirmatrelvir plus ritonavir could reduce health risks.

The nirmatrelvir plus ritonavir combination is known as Paxlovid™ and is U.S. FDA-Approved.

Paxlovid works intracellularly, binding to the highly conserved main protease of SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.

By inhibiting the main protease, it inhibits viral replication at a stage known as proteolysis, which occurs before viral RNA replication.

In the U.S., Paxlovid is available at most pharmacies.

Other COVID-19 treatment news is posted at CoronavirusToday.com/Antiviruals. 

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