Home Treatment for Covid-19

Home Treatment for Covid-19

On December 23, 2021, the Food and Drug Administration approved emergency use authorization (EUA) for Merck Molnupiravir pill for the treatment of Covid-19. The drug is cleared for patients 18 and older who test positive for Covid-19 and are at high risk of hospitalization or death. The treatment course includes four capsules every 12 hours for 5 days beginning as soon as the patient tests positive for Covid-19 and within five days of exhibiting symptoms.

The FDA cautions that the capsules are not approved for patients under 18 nor pregnant women due to potential birth defects and the effects on bone and cartilage growth.

An FDA fact sheet for molnupiravir is available through the following link:

https://www.fda.gov/media/155054/download

The Molnupiravir EUA follows just behind the December 22, 2021, announcement that the FDA authorized an EUA for Pfizer drug, Paxlovid™ for high-risk patients aged 12 and older who test positive for Covid-19. The 5-day Paxlovid™ treatment course includes two drugs, two nirmatrelvir tablets and one ritonavir tablet twice a day. Similar to the requirements for the molnupiravir treatment, paxlovid should be taken as soon as the patient has tested positive for Covid-19 and within five days of exhibiting symptoms.

The FDA published a fact sheet for Paxlovid™ at the following link:

https://www.fda.gov/media/155050/download