By Karen Bong
KUCHING, Aug 5: People who have tested positive for Covid-19 are advised to visit their nearest clinic or hospital to determine if they are eligible for Paxlovid, a leading oral antiviral pill that could help patients avoid serious illness and recover quickly from mild cases of Covid-19.
Deputy Premier Dato Sri Dr Sim Kui Hian emphasised that Paxlovid is recommended for early-stage treatment of mild Covid-19 especially among people with high risk for progression to severe disease.
“Paxlovid should be taken as soon as possible at the early stage of infection such as with Category 1 symptoms. It would be of no use when symptoms become severe.
“A lot of people who test positive for Covid-19 now would automatically self-isolate at home. But I would encourage you to proceed to the nearest government or private clinics or hospitals to get assessed and get Paxlovid prescribed if eligible,” he said in a TikTok video shared on his social media today.
Dr Sim, who is also Minister for Public Health, Housing and Local Government, pointed out that since January this year, the Sarawak government in collaboration with the Federal government and health authorities have procured to make the medicine easy to obtain by the public.
“Paxlovid must be taken as early as possible as it will help to prevent symptoms from getting worse,” he added.
In another TikTok video yesterday (Aug 4), Dr Sim noted that Malaysia has reported an increase in Covid-19 cases with over 2,000 cases in Selangor and over 300 cases in Sabah.
“The Sarawak Health Department and Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) are monitoring the situation closely as the trend in Sarawak is normally three to four weeks behind.
“While the worst of Covid-19 pandemic may be behind us, it is not over yet. So please stay safe and practice all necessary precautions,” he reminded.
According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Paxlovid is a prescription oral antiviral drug from Pfizer that has proven to be effective in reducing the risk of hospitalisation and death for patients with mild-to-moderate Covid-19. — DayakDaily
