Covid Pill

[JohnGc]

This could be the answer for vulnerable aged people on a cruise ( like me and the wife ) in case they are unlucky enough to get covid.

 

 A tablet that can treat COVID-19 will be available in chemists across Australia in just days, but experts warn it isn't another vaccine.

 

Senior Medical Advisor of Pfizer Australia, Dr Krishan Thiru, told Today Paxlovid is a treatment for people who have recently been diagnosed and will be available in an oral take-home treatment from Sunday.It works is by inhibiting one of the enzymes that the virus uses to replicate," Dr Thiru told Today.

It means the virus can't multiply inside your body and your body's own immune defences are able to combat the virus."

Dr Thiru said the oral treatment will be for high-risk people, including those aged over 65 with risk factors, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged over 50 with risk factors, or immuno-compromised people with diabetes, obesity and heart, lung or kidney disease.

It is designed for people who otherwise might be at risk of requiring hospitalisation or not surviving, he said.

This doesn't replace vaccination. Vaccination is the most important thing people can do to protect their own health. Paxlovid is an important second line of defence, for vulnerable Australians, particularly at high risk,"

[Cbtours]

2 minutes ago, JohnGc said:

This could be the answer for vulnerable aged people on a cruise ( like me and the wife ) in case they are unlucky enough to get covid.

 

 A tablet that can treat COVID-19 will be available in chemists across Australia in just days, but experts warn it isn't another vaccine.

 

Senior Medical Advisor of Pfizer Australia, Dr Krishan Thiru, told Today Paxlovid is a treatment for people who have recently been diagnosed and will be available in an oral take-home treatment from Sunday.It works is by inhibiting one of the enzymes that the virus uses to replicate," Dr Thiru told Today.

It means the virus can't multiply inside your body and your body's own immune defences are able to combat the virus."

Dr Thiru said the oral treatment will be for high-risk people, including those aged over 65 with risk factors, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged over 50 with risk factors, or immuno-compromised people with diabetes, obesity and heart, lung or kidney disease.

It is designed for people who otherwise might be at risk of requiring hospitalisation or not surviving, he said.

This doesn't replace vaccination. Vaccination is the most important thing people can do to protect their own health. Paxlovid is an important second line of defence, for vulnerable Australians, particularly at high risk,"

Gosh is this for real? Heard nothing at all about it. I know the early days people were talking that hydrohexie ones? So is it similar?

[JohnGc]

1 minute ago, Cbtours said:

Gosh is this for real? Heard nothing at all about it. I know the early days people were talking that hydrohexie ones? So is it similar?

Found the article on the Nine News on my mac comp 10 minutes ago. Lately I have been thinking seriously on if I should risk a cruise with my wife, our age is against us plus my wife will have been a year on from Chemo and I am not so sure her immune system could cope with covid. I thought this may give us the opportunity.

[Mikamarii]

42 minutes ago, Cbtours said:

Gosh is this for real? Heard nothing at all about it. I know the early days people were talking that hydrohexie ones? So is it similar?

We've had this available here for a few months. I think the key with this pill is that you take it as soon as symptoms start (or infection detected) and it keeps the symptoms from coming more serious. It isn't something you can take as a preventative measure like daily vitamin or anything. I don't know how widely available it is (or expensive) so it won't be given to everybody who gets sick....just those at higher risk of serious outcomes.  

[AZjohn]

1 hour ago, Cbtours said:

Gosh is this for real? Heard nothing at all about it. 

I apologize in advance as I respect your Australian/NZ site and try never to post here (I do enjoy reading your post though as we have an upcoming cruise to your wonderful countries next year).

 

Saying all that, I do want to tell you this is real and currently available in the US. The issue is the supply is low so it's only prescribed to people who have Covid and have pre-conditions that would make them susceptible to major health outcomes.

 

My (as others) hope as time goes on this will be available for everyone. And that we can have it to take on trips so when we do come down with Covid (not if) we can take it right away. We shall see.

 

Cheers,

John

[arxcards]

Take care not to get the Pfizer bottles mixed up.

 

I believe I heard these were going to be PBS subsidised when they announced the upcoming supply from Pfizer a few weeks back.

[NSWP]

6 hours ago, AZjohn said:

I apologize in advance as I respect your Australian/NZ site and try never to post here (I do enjoy reading your post though as we have an upcoming cruise to your wonderful countries next year).

 

Saying all that, I do want to tell you this is real and currently available in the US. The issue is the supply is low so it's only prescribed to people who have Covid and have pre-conditions that would make them susceptible to major health outcomes.

 

My (as others) hope as time goes on this will be available for everyone. And that we can have it to take on trips so when we do come down with Covid (not if) we can take it right away. We shall see.

 

Cheers,

John

Thanks John, you are welcome on here anytime.  I hope you get here next year on Grand Princess.

[Cbtours]

7 hours ago, AZjohn said:

I apologize in advance as I respect your Australian/NZ site and try never to post here (I do enjoy reading your post though as we have an upcoming cruise to your wonderful countries next year).

 

Saying all that, I do want to tell you this is real and currently available in the US. The issue is the supply is low so it's only prescribed to people who have Covid and have pre-conditions that would make them susceptible to major health outcomes.

 

My (as others) hope as time goes on this will be available for everyone. And that we can have it to take on trips so when we do come down with Covid (not if) we can take it right away. We shall see.

 

Cheers,

John

Good on you! I’m all for anything that helps 

[Porky55]

There are actually 8 approved and available for treating Covid, in various treatment forms, most were approved by the TGA in 2021:

https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/covid-19/medications
 

[Aus Traveller]

9 hours ago, arxcards said:

Take care not to get the Pfizer bottles mixed up.

 

I believe I heard these were going to be PBS subsidised when they announced the upcoming supply from Pfizer a few weeks back.

I heard about this new treatment on the news a while ago. No price or other details were mentioned. As Porky55 said, there are several treatments available, but maybe they will be used only for people who appear to be having serious complications. For example, although we could be considered at risk because of our age and a couple of non-serious health conditions, we would not have been considered for these medications because we didn't become very ill. For both of us, COVID was like a very mild flu.

Edited April 29, 2022 by Aus Traveller

[JohnGc]

1 hour ago, Aus Traveller said:

I heard about this new treatment on the news a while ago. No price or other details were mentioned. As Porky55 said, there are several treatments available, but maybe they will be used only for people who appear to be having serious complications. For example, although we could be considered at risk because of our age and a couple of non-serious health conditions, we would not have been considered for these medications because we didn't become very ill. For both of us, COVID was like a very mild flu.

I know this sounds stupid but sometimes I think I would feel better getting covid so I know how well I handle it so I can get on with living normally. On the other hand I could end up not worrying about anything.

[Aus Traveller]

4 minutes ago, JohnGc said:

I know this sounds stupid but sometimes I think I would feel better getting covid so I know how well I handle it so I can get on with living normally. On the other hand I could end up not worrying about anything.

The problem is, none of us know how ill we will become. We got off very lightly.  

[Porky55]

9 minutes ago, JohnGc said:

I know this sounds stupid but sometimes I think I would feel better getting covid so I know how well I handle it so I can get on with living normally. On the other hand I could end up not worrying about anything.

Don’t think that is at all stupid, such a big thing was made of Covid for over 2 years, to actually get it and have symptoms like Aus Traveller would be a relief.  But preferably NOT while on a cruise 🥺

Edited April 30, 2022 by Porky55

[JohnGc]

1 minute ago, Porky55 said:

Don’t think that is at all stupid, such a big thing was made of Covid for over 2 years, to actually get it and have symptoms like Aus Traveller would be a relief. 

That would be great, it's the alternative that bothers me. Yeh yeh I know, I am a coward lol.

[Aus Traveller]

1 minute ago, Porky55 said:

Don’t think that is at all stupid, such a big thing was made of Covid for over 2 years, to actually get it and have symptoms like Aus Traveller would be a relief. 

That is what we feel. We are both in our 70s (husband 80 this year) and we got off lightly. Our son and his family are now in their seven-day recovery phase. They also were not very ill, just quite fatigued, elevated temp and the COVID cough - not even the blocked nose etc. Now at two weeks from infection, they are only around slightly fatigued. BTW, they didn't get COVID from us. We managed not to pass it on and neither did our son's family.

[Porky55]

1 minute ago, Aus Traveller said:

That is what we feel. We are both in our 70s (husband 80 this year) and we got off lightly. Our son and his family are now in their seven-day recovery phase. They also were not very ill, just quite fatigued, elevated temp and the COVID cough - not even the blocked nose etc. Now at two weeks from infection, they are only around slightly fatigued. BTW, they didn't get COVID from us. We managed not to pass it on and neither did our son's family.

What you describe is what I imagine most vaccinated people would experience now.

 

Unvaccinated or health compromised would probably be a whole other story.

[MicCanberra]

I find the pill interesting, I imagine cost would be one of the inhibitors for its lack of availability here.

[MicCanberra]

Everyone may cope differently  to how covid affects them.

 

I recently  had covid and really only suffered from some sinus congestion for under 2 days.I had no headache or other symptoms  but I did lay around (confined to the bedroom) for several days and drank lots of water.

 

Others I know were very ill with cold and flu symptoms and confined to bed for the week, fatigue, body soreness, bad headaches etc.

[Porky55]

1 minute ago, MicCanberra said:

I find the pill interesting, I imagine cost would be one of the inhibitors for its lack of availability here.

If I understood what I read, a variety are available here now and on the PBS, I think it’s just the WHO it actually treats that is the question? And also who makes the decision, to prescribe it 🤔

[MicCanberra]

3 minutes ago, Porky55 said:

If I understood what I read, a variety are available here now and on the PBS, I think it’s just the WHO it actually treats that is the question? And also who makes the decision, to prescribe it 🤔

Possibly  only those who are hospitalised 

[Aus Traveller]

18 minutes ago, Porky55 said:

What you describe is what I imagine most vaccinated people would experience now.

 

Unvaccinated or health compromised would probably be a whole other story.

We are all triple vaccinated. My husband and I were due to get our second booster in mid April but COVID intervened and now we have to wait four months. Generally, I think that vaccinated people are protected from severe illness, but there have been cases where they have become quite ill.

Edited April 30, 2022 by Aus Traveller

[Porky55]

4 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

We are all triple vaccinated. My husband and I were due to get our second booster in mid April but COVID intervened and now we have to wait four months. Generally, I think that vaccinated people are protected from severe illness, but there have been cases where they have become quite ill.

We are off to Europe for 14 days this Tuesday, so had our 2nd boosters last week. Fingers crossed that we are ok - going to wear masks if we can’t distance anyway, and buckets of hand sanitiser/wipes in handbag 🤞

 

[kenexx]

Hope they’re not blue 😈

[Aus Traveller]

1 minute ago, Porky55 said:

We are off to Europe for 14 days this Tuesday, so had our 2nd boosters last week. Fingers crossed that we are ok - going to wear masks if we can’t distance anyway, and buckets of hand sanitiser/wipes in handbag 🤞

 

Have a fantastic trip. 🙂 I'm jealous.

[frantic36]

14 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

Generally, I think that vaccinated people are protected from severe illness, but there have been cases where they have become quite ill.

I know some people in their 40s who actually felt very unwell for a few days even though vaccinated and boosted. They had high fevers, body aches and a nasty cough. Others I know had very mild symptoms like you had. 

 

26 minutes ago, MicCanberra said:

Possibly  only those who are hospitalised 

 

Since you need to take the tablets within a few days of getting symptoms for it to work they wouldn't be able to wait necessarily for someone to be hospitalised. I think it will be prescribed by GPs for at risk people when they present with symptoms and test positive.

 

Hoping that in the future it is more widely available like Tamiflu is now and the general public can get some more easily via prescription.