Treatments

Nirmatrelvir/Ritonavir (Paxlovid), is the first Health Canada approved oral antiviral medication to treat mild to moderate COVID-19 in adult patients at high risk of hospitalization or death.

Paxlovid is available in a pill combination that is taken twice a day for five days. It is an antiviral medication shown to help people with lower immunity overcome the COVID-19 infection and reduce the chance of progression to hospitalization.

Eligibility

You MAY be eligible for Paxlovid treatment if you meet all of the following criteria:

  • You have not been admitted to hospital (exceptions are made for patients in hospital but under Alternate Level of Care)
  • Your symptoms started within the last 5 days
  • You tested positive for COVID-19 within the last 5 days
  • You belong to one of the following high-risk groups:
    • You are 60 years of age or older, regardless of vaccination status
    • You are an immunocompromised adult, regardless of vaccination status. Immunocompromised means:
      • You are undergoing cancer treatment;
      • You had a solid organ transplant and you are taking immunosuppressive therapy;
      • You had a stem cell transplant in the last 2 years;
      • You had CAR-T cell treatment in the last 2 years;
      • You have a moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency (diagnosis of DiGeorge syndrome, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome, common variable immunodeficiency, Good’s syndrome or hyper IgE syndrome);
      • You have advanced or untreated HIV (does not apply if you have an undetectable viral load);
      • You are taking high dose corticosteroids (e.g., 20 mg or greater of prednisone daily for over 2 weeks); or
      • You are taking a highly immunosuppressive drug (biologic medication, transplant or chemotherapy related immunosuppressant).
  • You do not have a medical condition that would make treatment inappropriate
  • You are not taking medications that would result in a serious drug interaction with Paxlovid

If you think you may be eligible for treatment with Paxlovid, contact your pharmacist or primary care provider (family physician or nurse practitioner). They can complete the screening to ensure Paxlovid is an appropriate treatment for you. Prescriptions for Paxlovid can be dispensed at your local community pharmacy.

Treatment is No Substitute for Vaccination

Vaccination remains the best tool available to prevent hospitalizations and death due to COVID-19. Therapeutic treatment is an important and critical complement to vaccines, but it is important to acknowledge that vaccination and non-pharmaceutical public health measures remain the most important tools to prevent serious illness from COVID-19. Both the Public Health Agency of Canada and Health Canada strongly recommend vaccination for all eligible people living in Canada.

Visit Get the Shot – COVID-19 Vaccine (gov.nl.ca) for more information.