Paxlovid is Australia’s first-line COVID-19 antiviral but Lagevrio also prevents severe disease in over-70s
Australia is experiencing the fourth wave of COVID-19 for 2022, with the number of people hospitalised with the virus trending to levels seen in winter and ongoing high levels of deaths.
New COVID-19 waves are expected to occur every 3-4 months for some time.
Earlier in the pandemic, COVID-19 treatments mostly focused on those hospitalised with serious infection.
Now, oral antiviral medicines nirmatrelvir/ritonavir (Paxlovid) and molnupiravir (Lagevrio) are being largely prescribed for people who test positive and are at greater risk of severe illness.
