COVID-19: 465 cases added last week, Saskatchewan pharmacists can prescribe paxlovid

Pharmacists in Saskatchewan can now prescribe paxlovid to COVID-19-postive individuals, the province announced Thursday.

A list of the 170 participating pharmacies is available on the government’s website. 

Select physicians and nurse practitioners will also have prescribing authority of the medication.

4:02 Options for early COVID treatment in Healthy Living

Paxlovid is only recommended for people over 18 with the following conditions:

• Test positive (PCR or rapid test) with mild or moderate COVID-19 symptoms;
• Do not have any medical conditions that would make treatment inappropriate;
• Are not taking any medications that may cause potential drug interactions; and
• Are immunocompromised, regardless of vaccination status;
• 70 years and older with designated risk factors, regardless of vaccination status or
• Meet one of the following criteria:
  • Have a medical condition that puts you at high risk and are not fully vaccinated; or
  • Are 55 to 69 years old and not fully vaccinated.

Paxlovid treatment starts within five days of symptom onset and is not used to prevent COVID-19 infection.

The government added that treatments for COVID-19 does “not offer equal protection to vaccination.”

The province also reported 465 laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 during the week of May 8 to 14.

The Omicron BA.2 sublineage accounted for 70.9 per cent of variants of concern reported last week.

There were 22 newly-reported COVID-19 deaths last week.

On May 18 there were 270 patients in hospital with COVID-19, including 14 in adult ICU.

Of the 270 patients, 164 had an incidental infection.

As of May 14, 81 per cent of the population aged 5 and older have completed a series of COVID-19 vaccination.

Of the population 18 and older, 52.3 per cent have gotten at least one booster dose.