The government of Saskatchewan has announced it’s expecting its first shipment of Paxlovid, an antiviral pill developed by Pfizer, later this week.
“Most people won’t need it. Most people are well protected with their vaccination,” said Dr. Satchan Takaya in a media briefing delivered by Saskatchewan’s Provincial Emergency Operations Centre Tuesday.
“But for those who may have an underlying condition, who may be immunocompromised, or if they haven’t been vaccinated and are at risk of going on to severe disease with Omicron — those are the people who will be eligible for Paxlovid.”
Paxlovid is taken twice a day for five days by those with COVID-19.
Health Canada approved Paxlovid Monday, making it the country’s first oral COVID-19 treatment that can be taken at home.
The province says more details on eligibility for Paxlovid will be released in the coming days, but Takaya said eligibility “will be very similar” to the monoclonal antibody Sotrovimab. Quantity will be limited initially and will expand throughout the year, the province adds.
The province also updated its eligibility criteria for monoclonal antibody treatments.
To be eligible, a patient must have tested positive for COVID-19 with either a rapid antigen test or PCR test, are unvaccinated or immunocompromised, within seven days of first symptoms and are 55 or older.
Those meeting the above criteria but are 18 years of age or older and have a specific high-risk comorbidity are also eligible for the treatment.
Previously, only those within five days of becoming symptomatic were eligible and meeting the other criteria were eligible.
Dr. Tayaka said “about 50 doses” of Sotrovimab have been administered in Saskatchewan so far.
She added that, like with monoclonal antibody treatments, Paxlovid is ideally used on patients “during the mild phase” of illness, not yet severely ill and not yet hospitalized.
Meanwhile, in a news release the province stressed that “treatment is no substitution for vaccination”.
“While Saskatchewan supports new treatments for those most at risk for severe COVID-19 illnesses, vaccination remains the best tool available to prevent hospitalizations and death due to COVID-19,” the release reads.
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