Paxlovid

A pill to treat COVID-19 appears to be the country's best hope, outside of vaccines and strong public health measures, to keep hospitals from being overrun with cases of the virus now and in the future, doctors say.

Pronounced PAX-luh-vid, it is an oral antiviral treatment for COVID-19, consisting of a combination of two medications that must be taken together.

Health Canada approved Pfizer's antiviral treatment for COVID-19 on Monday, January 17, 2022, which could help cut pressure on the health-care system by preventing high-risk patients from ending up in the hospital.

There's hope that Health Canada's approval of Pfizer's antiviral COVID-19 treatment will help ease the strain on the country's health-care system, as hospitalizations continue their steady climb.

Health Canada should be ready to make an authorization decision about Pfizer's Paxlovid antiviral treatment for COVID-19 in a week to 10 days, chief medical adviser Dr. Supriya Sharma said on Thursday, January 13, 2022.