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(Des Moines, IA) -- Select Iowa Healthcare providers are expecting to receive a new coronavirus treatment next week. The Iowa Department of Public Health says two types of oral antiviral medications are due to arrive at select pharmacies and clinical providers in Iowa next week. Each drug is given twice daily for five days. IDPH Spokesperson Sarah Ekstrand says antiviral supplies are expected to
"Providers are communicating to their health care partners about the availability of the antiviral treatments. IDPH will continue to monitor trends in usage and as allocation increases, will provide additional detail soon on how these medications can be accessed more broadly," said Ekstrand.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration last month issued an emergency use authorization (EUA)for Pfizer’s Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir tablets and ritonavir tablets, co-packaged for oral use) for the treatment of mild-to-moderate coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in adults and pediatric patients (12 years of age and older who have tested positive for coronavirus and are at high risk for hospitalization or death. Paxlovid is available by prescription only and should be initiated as soon as possible after diagnosis of COVID-19 and within five days of symptom onset.