No, Paxlovid antiviral medication won’t make a difference if you only have mild COVID symptoms

ATLANTA — As COVID cases climb in Georgia, 11Alive is here to verify your questions on the virus and treatments to keep you healthy.

11Alive’s Verify team dug into a new report from Pfizer on the anti-viral medicine Paxlovid and what this means for you and your family.

THE QUESTION

Does Paxlovid antiviral medicine help if you have mild symptoms?

THE ANSWER

No, data finds Paxlovid won’t make too much of a difference if you only have mild symptoms and are at low risk for serious complications.

OUR SOURCES

• The Food and Drug Administration
• A new report from Pfizer
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

WHAT WE KNOW

The FDA granted "Paxlovid" antiviral medicine emergency use authorization back in December. As of this month, doctors and licensed pharmacists can prescribe it to you.

The CDC said you should take the drug if you're in the early stages of the virus, you have mild to moderate symptoms and you're at high risk for complications.

A new report from Pfizer found low or standard risk patients won't see much of a change in their symptoms by taking the medicine. Experts said the medicine's goal is to reduce your risk of hospitalization or dying.

So we can verify that no, Paxlovid antiviral medicine won't make much of a difference if you have mild symptoms. But if you are at high risk, the medicine can protect you from developing a severe case of the disease.