Europe 1 with AFP 3:26 p.m., April 22, 2022

The WHO “strongly recommends” the antiviral from the American pharmaceutical group Pfizer for patients with less severe forms of Covid-19 “at higher risk of hospitalization”.

For the WHO, the combination marketed as paxvolid "is the drug of choice" for unvaccinated, elderly or immunocompromised patients.

The WHO "strongly recommends" the antiviral from the American pharmaceutical group Pfizer - nirmaltrelvir combined with ritonavir - for patients with less severe forms of Covid-19 "at higher risk of hospitalization".

World Health Organization experts say combination marketed as paxlovid 'is the drug of choice' for unvaccinated, elderly or immunocompromised patients, even though WHO continues to advocate vaccination in the first place .

Paxlovid “more reduces the number of hospitalizations”

For this same type of patients and symptoms, the WHO issued a "weak recommendation" for remdesivir from the American laboratory Gilead, which it had previously advised against.

Paxlovid should be preferred over Merck's molnupiravir or remdesivir as well as monoclonal antibodies, the organization said in an article published Friday in

the British Journal of Medicine

.

They point out that the drug offered by Pfizer "reduces the number of hospitalizations more than the alternatives, presents fewer potential risks than the antiviral molnupiravir, and is easier to administer than intravenous options such as remdesivir and antibody".

This recommendation applies to people aged 18 and under and does not apply to pregnant and breastfeeding women.

It does not apply to patients who are at low risk of complications because the positive effects are minimal.

Paxlovid or remdesivir, two drugs against Covid

The experts also gave up giving an opinion with regard to patients suffering from severe or critical Covid, "for lack of clinical data".

Paxlovid should be taken orally for 5 consecutive days and especially within 5 days of the onset of symptoms.

In the case of remdesivir, it is up to 7 days after the onset of symptoms.