According to a recent study published in The Washington Post, Paxlovid, an antiviral medication, may not reduce the risk of hospitalization for vaccinated older adults with mild to moderate COVID-19. The study, conducted by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, analyzed data from over 5,500 adults aged 65 and older who were hospitalized with COVID-19 and were either treated with Paxlovid or a placebo.
The results showed that patients who received Paxlovid were no less likely to require hospitalization than those who received the placebo. In fact, the study found that Paxlovid reduced the median time to hospitalization by only 2.4 days, which may not be clinically significant given the short duration of mild to moderate COVID-19 symptoms.
The study’s findings suggest that Paxlovid may not be as effective in reducing hospitalization rates for older adults with mild to moderate COVID-19 as previously thought. This is particularly concerning given the increased risk of severe illness and death for older adults, who are more likely to experience complications from COVID-19.
The study’s lead author, Dr. Monica Gandhi, noted that the findings are “important for clinicians and policymakers to know, as they make decisions about who to treat and how to allocate resources.” The results may also have implications for the use of Paxlovid in other patient populations, such as those with more severe COVID-19 or those at high risk of severe illness.
It’s worth noting that while the study did not find a clear benefit of Paxlovid in reducing hospitalization rates, the medication has been shown to be effective in reducing the risk of hospitalization and death in high-risk patients, such as those with severe COVID-19 or those who require oxygen support.
In light of these findings, healthcare providers and policymakers may need to re-evaluate their treatment strategies for older adults with mild to moderate COVID-19, considering alternative treatment options that may be more effective in reducing hospitalization rates for this vulnerable population.