By Chris King • Updated: 25 Mar 2022 • 0:14
Pfizer's Paxlovid antiviral Covid treatment has arrived in Andalucia. Source: Pfizer
Next Monday, March 28, Pizer’s Paxlovid antiviral Covid-19 tablets will arrive in Spain. The Government has bought 344,000 batches of this new drug to battle against coronavirus.
Carolina Darias, the Minister of Health announced the signing of the agreement today, Thursday 24, with Sergio Rodriguez, the director of Pfizer Spain. The contract formalised the purchase of the 344,000 Paxlovid treatments.
This new drug will be administered on an outpatient basis, and is designed to prevent the progression of Covid to a serious condition. It had been shown in tests that it helped to prevent the hospitalisation and death of patients who had mild but risk factors. “It will allow us to have one more tool in the fight against Covid”, said Darias during the signing.
Pedro Sanchez, the President of Spain, had announced this deal back in January of this year, a few days after the European Medicines Agency (EMA) authorised this treatment. However, it has taken almost three months to become effective. Next Monday 11,900 treatments will arrive in Spain, and Health indicates that 50,000 will be available by the end of March.
Paxlovid is the first oral treatment against Covid-19. According to Pfizer studies, it is 89 per cent effective in reducing the possibility of having to be admitted to a hospital or dying from coronavirus. To be effective, it must be administered as soon as possible after the diagnosis of Covid and within five days after the onset of symptoms.
For this reason, the Ministry points out that this process has to be “organised and very agile” and so it has been agreed that the prescription of these pills will be made by the doctors who make the diagnosis to the person susceptible to developing a serious case of Covid, either in Primary or Specialised Care, as reported by 20minutos.es.
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Originally from Wales, Chris spent years on the Costa del Sol before moving to the Algarve where he is a web reporter for The Euro Weekly News covering international and Spanish national news. Got a news story you want to share? Then get in touch at editorial@euroweeklynews.com
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