A new study reveals Pfizer’s COVID-19 pill, Paxlovid provides little to no benefits among younger adults. However, it helps in reducing the risk of death and hospitalization.
Paxlovid offers little or no benefits for younger adults
A new study conducted in Israel on 190,000 patients is set to renew questions about the US government’s use of Pfizer’s Covid-19 pill. In the US, Paxlovid has become a go-to treatment due to its at-home convenience. Additionally, the Biden administration has spent over $10 billion buying enough medicines and ensuring their availability across the nation. “Paxlovid will remain important for people at the highest risk of severe COVID-19, such as seniors and those with compromised immune systems,” stated Dr. David Boulware. Dr. Boulware is a physician and researcher at the University of Minnesota.
“But for the vast majority of Americans who are now eligible, this doesn’t have a lot of benefits,” he added. The research, released on Wednesday reveals a reduction of 75 percent in hospitalization among people over the age of 65 after taking Paxlovid. The results for the older population are consistent with earlier studies. (https://blogs.20minutos.es) However, people between 50 and 65 saw no measurable advantage. It is important to note the limitations of the study as the data is based on Israel’s large health care system instead of a randomized study using a control group.
More on the new study
The study sheds light on the pandemic’s changing nature. With time and immunization, a huge majority of the population has some form of protection against covid, either by prior infection or vaccination. Hence, this significantly reduces the risk of severe covid among younger adults. As per the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 95 percent of American aged 16 or over have some level of immunity.
“Risk for severe outcomes from COVID is along a gradient, and the growing body of evidence is showing that individuals between the ages of 50 and 64 can also benefit from Paxlovid,” stated Kevin Munoz. Munoz is a White House spokesperson. He also pointed to several studies highlighting the use of the drug in reducing hospitalization numbers among those older than 50. A Pfizer spokesperson declined to comment on the study results.