For patients, medicines to treat mild to moderate COVID-19 disease caused by SARS-COV-2 virus remain adequate. This is Paxlovid, approved by the European Commission on the basis of a recommendation from the European Medicines Agency (EMA). The therapeutic effect of Paxlovid is to stop the virus multiplying in cells, which reduces the potential for serious illness.
Paxlovid is also intended for patients with COVID-19 disease based on a positive antigen test carried out in their home environment, if they are at increased risk of severe illness within five days of onset of symptoms. Risk groups include, for example, patients over 60 years of age, patients with chronic cardiovascular disease in the heart failure stage, diabetes with advanced chronic complications, neurological diseases, chronic lung disease or arterial hypertension, patients with severe immune impairment or patients at risk of serious COVID-19 infection at the discretion of the physician.
Prescription of this medicinal product may be indicated by the treating physician by means of a prescription or prescription (erecept) and subsequently the medicinal product may be supplied by a medical care provider on the basis of an information system for specially ordering medicinal products, regardless of whether it is a public or hospital pharmacy.
The stocks of Paxlovid provided by the Ministry of Health are in sufficient quantity with the holder of the authorisation for large distribution of medicinal products and the inhabitants of the Slovak Republic need not worry about its failure.
For further information for healthcare providers on treatment with Paxlovid, see the Guidelines of the Ministry of Health of the Slovak Republic on the treatment of antiviral medicine Paxlovid in mild to moderate COVID-19, available at:https://www.health.gov.sk/Clanok?Head-right-COVID-19.