What you need to know about the treatment of Covid-19

In a few weeks, the United States could have access to the first antiviral pills to treat Covid-19, either from Pfizer Inc. or Merck & Co. and partner Ridgeback Biotherapeutics LP. Merck-Ridgeback’s drug, molnupiravir, has received a positive recommendation on November 30 a panel of experts advising the Food and Drug Administration. The pill had been found in an advanced stage study to reduce the risk of hospitalization or death by about 30% in high-risk people with mild to moderate Covid-19. The UK cleared the drug for use earlier in November.

The recommendation follows the emergence of a new variant, variant B.1.1.529, also known as the Omicron variant. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identified the first US confirmed case of the Omicron variant in California on December 1. The threat of the possibly more transmissible variant has prompted the FDA to consider allowing the use of Pfizer-BioNTech’s Covid-19 boosters among 16 and 17 year olds from next week, The Wall Street Journal reported.