I have Covid. Should I take Paxlovid?

If hospitalizations and deaths from Covid-19 are increasingFueled by a rapidly evolving new variant that now accounts for a majority of U.S. cases, Paxlovid could help protect patients from some of the disease’s worst effects.

But few people end up taking the antiviral medication. Some may not realize they qualify for the drug, or be wary of a rebound case of Covid.

But there is clear evidence that Paxlovid can prevent serious diseases in people at high risk, and it is still possible to get the drug for free or at low cost. Here’s what you need to know.

How does Paxlovid work? And how effective is it?

Paxlovid consists of two medications that, when taken together, prevent the virus from replicating in your body. a recent research from the National Institutes of Health found that taking Paxlovid reduced the risk of death by 73 percent in people at high risk for severe disease.

“Study after study makes it clear that Paxlovid works in people who use it,” said Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly, chief research and development officer at the Veterans Affairs St. Louis Healthcare System.

Who is a good candidate for Paxlovid?

Anyone aged 12 or over who is considered high risk – which includes a broad group of people. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention includes circumstances such as depression, obesity, asthma or a history of smoking. “To be honest, if you’re an adult in the U.S., you can meet any of those little points,” says Dr. Davey Smith, an infectious disease specialist at the University of California, San Diego.

Anyone aged 50 or older is also eligible for the treatment, regardless of health status. The older you are, the greater your risk of serious illness, said Dr. Smith.

Paxlovid may interact with certain medications, including blood thinners medications that treat cardiovascular diseaseincreasing the risk of blood clots and other complications. Therefore, doctors may recommend that some patients avoid Paxlovid or stop taking a certain drug while they are taking the antiviral drug.

Do you really need it if you only have mild complaints?

Paxlovid is intended for people with mild to moderate symptoms.

“Take it as early as possible to nip it in the bud and prevent yourself from getting so sick,” said Dr. Al-Aly.

Even if you currently have few symptoms or have had mild experiences with Covid before, the disease is unpredictable and you may still want to consider Paxlovid if you qualify, said Dr. Smith. “Every time someone gets Covid, it’s basically a different game of roulette,” he said.

The virus can cause inflammation throughout the body, said Dr. Smith, which increases the risk of blood clots. “You may feel fine, but you don’t know that your body is making a clot,” he said. Paxlovid can reduce the risk of those clots, he said. Some experts think the treatment could also reduce the risk of long-term Covid-19, although there is no definitive evidence of that yet, said Dr. Marc Sala, co-director of the Northwestern Medicine Comprehensive Covid-19 Center in Chicago. But by reducing Covid symptoms in the first place, the drug can reduce the chance of those symptoms lingering.

When should you take it?

You should take Paxlovid within five days of the onset of symptoms. “The sooner you get it, the better it works,” said Dr. Al-Aly.

And complete the full five-day course: “You want to keep taking it long enough to completely clear the virus from your body,” said Dr. Al-Aly.

What about the Paxlovid rebound?

Whether you take Paxlovid or not, symptoms may resurface a week or so after you recover from Covid, and you may even test positive again. There is no clear data yet on how often rebound occurs, and whether it occurs more often when people take Paxlovid. a December report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found “no consistent association” between antiviral treatment and rebound. And rebound does not appear to increase the risk of hospitalization or death, said Dr. Smith.

“It probably just means that your immune system has to kick up a notch for a day or two and shut it down,” he said.

How much does Paxlovid cost? Can I get a discount on it?

Until 2024, Paxlovid was widely available for free through the federal government. But now the drug, with a list price of $1,390, has moved to the commercial market.

That doesn’t mean you pay that price at the pharmacy counter. Many commercial insurance plans cover the medication, and Pfizer, which makes Paxlovid, offers one program which can reduce or even eliminate co-payment costs. And Paxlovid is still free for people with Medicare or Medicaid and for those without insurance through a patient assistance program. Funded by the NIH Home test to treat program also offers free treatments for Covid, including Paxlovid, for adults who test positive.

At a meeting on Tuesday, Xavier Becerra, the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, reminded pharmaceutical and insurance industry leaders that “No patient should be forced to pay the full out-of-pocket costs for access to Paxlovid.”