• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
BlackDoctor.org
Where Wellness & Culture Connect

Where Wellness & Culture Connect

  • Health Conditions
  • Wellness
  • Lifestyle
  • Longevity
  • Resource Centers
    • Cancer Resource Center
    • Covid Resource Center
    • Clinical Trials Resource Center
  • Find A Doctor
  • BDO TV
Home / Health Conditions / COVID-19 / Everything You Need to Know About Paxlovid. Should You Take It?

Everything You Need to Know About Paxlovid. Should You Take It?

Paxlovid

When President Joe Biden tested positive for COVID-19 on July 21, his physician recommended he take the antiviral drug Paxlovid. The drug significantly reduces the likelihood of hospitalization or death for someone at high risk of developing severe COVID. Biden started the five-day course that day, according to the White House, and within six days he tested negative for the virus and was cleared to leave isolation. However, days later he tested positive once again.

Biden’s chief medical adviser, Dr. Anthony Fauci, also took Paxlovid when he contracted COVID in June yet soon tested positive for the disease again. So he took a second round of the drug even though it isn’t approved for that.

Since Paxlovid became available seven months ago, it has eclipsed other available therapies created to forestall life-threatening COVID symptoms in high-risk patients. Some doctors are quick to prescribe it, but as with so much about the COVID pandemic, there is controversy. Some patients are concerned about a possible rebound of the disease, while others have difficulty convincing their doctors they are good candidates for the drug.

“Paxlovid is still the go-to drug” even though it may not be appropriate for everyone, says Dr. Priya Nori, an infectious disease physician who directs the COVID outpatient treatment program for the Montefiore Health System.

You May Also Like
7 Proven Ways to Cure an Upset Stomach

In a clinical trial, people who had mild-to-moderate COVID and were at high risk for becoming seriously ill lowered their risk of being hospitalized with or dying of the disease by 88% if they took Paxlovid within five days of developing symptoms.

But even as specialists in infectious diseases praise the treatment’s effectiveness, many doctors say they have questions about prescribing the drug and want better data.

Here are answers to some common questions about Paxlovid.

Q: What is Paxlovid, and how does it work?

Paxlovid is an antiviral medication that is made of two drugs: One blocks a key enzyme that the COVID virus needs to replicate, and the second blocks the first drug’s metabolism in the liver so it doesn’t leave the body as quickly. Patients take three pills twice a day for five days.

You May Also Like
How One Woman Eliminated 50 Fibroids without Surgery!

Q: Who should take Paxlovid?

When the FDA authorized the emergency use of Paxlovid, it specified that the drug was to be prescribed to people at high risk of getting severely ill from COVID. The high-risk list is long, including people older than 65 and those who have chronic or serious health conditions such as cancer, obesity, diabetes, asthma, and heart disease.

Yet seven months after Paxlovid was authorized, some patients have the protection of two booster shots of a COVID vaccine, and many were previously infected by the Omicron variant of the virus. So doctors are left to assess how much a patient’s history elevates or lowers their risk of severe infection, balancing that against the utility of prescribing a drug that has downsides as well.

If you fall into a high-risk category many, you may not be able to take Paxlovid if you take any drugs that could interact with the antiviral. Temporarily pausing some drugs on the list — like those that treat high cholesterol or high blood pressure — until a course of Paxlovid is

Continue Reading

The Latest In COVID-19

immunocompromised

Fighting COVID-19 with an Immunocompromising Condition: Tips for Staying Healthy

Even though it may seem like it, the COVID pandemic is not over. The Omicron variant has more mutations than any of the earlier variants making it more successful at evading our immune system and the protection of vaccines. In read more about Fighting COVID-19 with an Immunocompromising Condition: Tips for Staying Healthy
immunocompromised covid vaccine

COVID-19 Vaccinations and Immunocompromised Individuals

About two years ago, the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines became available, which initially seemed to be some of the most effective vaccines ever developed. But soon afterward we begin to see breakthrough infections; people contracting COVID even though they had been read more about COVID-19 Vaccinations and Immunocompromised Individuals
restless anal syndrome

The COVID Complication That Nobody Is Talking About

There’s still a lot to learn about the long-term effects of contracting COVID-19. While some of those issues have been well-documented, there are others that are so uncommon that you might not hear about them. One of those health conditions read more about The COVID Complication That Nobody Is Talking About
xbb covid 19 variant

6 Things You Need to Know About XBB COVID-19 Variant

A new coronavirus variant, which has been named XBB, has now become the dominant form of COVID-19 in the northeastern part of the country and is expected to become the dominant variant worldwide.  The XBB variant, which accounted for only 11% read more about 6 Things You Need to Know About XBB COVID-19 Variant
COVID 19

COVID-19 Increasing Risk Of Other Infections

It's probably no surprise to hear that our bodies are teeming with microorganisms. It's not the type that'll make you ill, I promise. We couldn't survive and be healthy without it. The small intestine is home to a large population read more about COVID-19 Increasing Risk Of Other Infections
covid bivalent booster

FDA OKs Bivalent COVID Boosters for Kids 6 Months and Older

The updated bivalent COVID-19 booster is now approved for use in children as young as 6 months of age, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced. Which vaccine is your child eligible for? Children can receive either a Moderna or read more about FDA OKs Bivalent COVID Boosters for Kids 6 Months and Older

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe to our newsletter

Poll

Popular Posts

  • 10 Signs You’re Living With Clogged Arteries 10 Signs You’re Living With Clogged Arteries
  • Monica Calhoun at 51: “Exude Beauty Inside, Manifest It Outside”Monica Calhoun at 51: "Exude Beauty Inside, Manifest It Outside"
  • Mo’Nique at 55: Slimmer, Happier & Wiser: “I Love Us For Real”Mo'Nique at 55: Slimmer, Happier & Wiser: "I Love Us For Real"
  • Taimak: The Last Dragon Lives 35+ Years Later!Taimak: The Last Dragon Lives 35+ Years Later!
  • John David Washington: “They Tried To Use My Name Against Me”John David Washington: "They Tried To Use My Name Against Me"

Podcast

Footer

Where Wellness & Culture Connect

BDO is the world’s largest and most comprehensive online health resource specifically targeted to African Americans. BDO understands that the uniqueness of Black culture - our heritage and our traditions - plays a role in our health. BDO gives you access to innovative new approaches to the health information you need in everyday language so you can break through the disparities, gain control and live your life to its fullest.

Connect With Us

Learn More About

  • Hepatitis C
  • Diabetes
  • Sickle Cell
  • Mental Health
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Advertise With Us
  • BlackDoctor.org Advertising and Sponsorship Policy
  • Daily Vitamina
  • TBH

Copyright © 2023, BlackDoctor, Inc. All rights reserved.