The US Food and Drug Administration approved its first oral COVID-19 pill for treatment soon after the diagnosis, which has been described as a 'major step forward in the fight against this global pandemic'.
The news comes as the rapidly spreading Omicron variant continues to sweep across the US, with the strain representing 73 per cent of coronavirus cases out of a seven-day average of around 130,000 daily infections last week.
"This authorisation provides a new tool to combat COVID-19 at a crucial time in the pandemic as new variants emerge and promises to make antiviral treatment more accessible to patients who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19." The FDA said in a statement Paxlovid"is not authorised for the pre-exposure of COVID-19" and"is not a substitute for vaccination in individuals for whom COVID-19 vaccination and a booster dose are recommended".
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