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Paxlovid coronavirus medicine

On this page, you can assess when you are entitled to Paxlovid medication and what you need to do to get the medicine if your COVID-19 infection can be treated at home and you do not need hospitalisation.

What is Paxlovid? 

Paxlovid is an oral coronavirus medicine used in outpatient treatment for people aged 18 or over and at risk of developing the severe form of COVID-19 due to illness, immunosuppressive medication, or age. Paxlovid prevents the coronavirus from replicating in the body of the infected person. The active substances in Paxlovid are nirmatrelvir (pink tablets in package) and ritonavir (white tablets).

The medication should be started as soon as possible after the onset of symptoms and within 5 days at the latest. However, Paxlovid medication started later than this may be useful for severely immunocompromised persons.

Paxlovid interacts with different drugs. Before starting the treatment, your other medication must be checked to exclude an interaction. The duration of the treatment is 5 days. Paxlovid is offered to you free of charge.

You may receive the medicine if 

  • you are aged 18 or over and 
  • you have a coronavirus infection that has been diagnosed in a coronavirus test conducted in a laboratory or at-home test and  
  • any symptom or symptoms of the coronavirus disease (check the symptoms here) and  
  • you belong to one of the groups listed below.

You cannot get the medicine if

  • you are under 18 years old 
  • you are pregnant (Note! Breastfeeding does not prevent you from getting the medicine, but you must discontinue breastfeeding for the duration of the treatment and for an additional 7 days after taking the last tablet.) 
  • you are hypersensitive to the active substances or the excipients (you will find the product label here)
  • you have severe hepatic insufficiency (such as Child-Pugh Class C) 
  • you take a medicine that interacts with the drug ingredients of Paxlovid (drug interaction) according to a physician assessment.  

Target groups for the medication among certain patients monitored in specialized medical care at HUS

Check below if you belong to any of the target groups for Paxlovid medication. The Paxlovid medication should be started as soon as possible after the onset of symptoms and within 5 days from their onset at the latest. See the contact information below.

Diseases that increase risk for severe COVID-19 are listed below. High age increases risk for severe disease and the risk is further elevated if the patient has diseases that increase the risk. It is to be noted, that risk for drug interactions is high among elderly and their management may be difficult. Coronavirus vaccines reduce the risk for severe COVID-19 even among the elderly. To be able to avoid one hospitalization due to COVID-19 hundred or even several thousand patients need to be treated with Paxlovid.

Patients in target group 1: Contact the specialized healthcare unit responsible for your care or the HUS region’s centralized Paxlovid helpline at Mehiläinen tel. 09 8860 8453 Mon–Sun 9:00 a.m.–4 p.m.

Patients in target groups 2–3: Contact the HUS region’s centralized Paxlovid helpline at Mehiläinen tel. 09 8860 8453  Mon–Sun 9:00 a.m.–4 p.m.

1. Severe immune system disorders and cancer patients

Patients over the age of 18 regardless of previous vaccines.






2. Patients at a very high risk of severe illness from COVID-19 due to an underlying condition

Patients over the age of 18 regardless of previous vaccines.



Target group 3:


Paxlovid cannot be prescribed by private clinics and the medicine is not available on prescription in private pharmacies.

 

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