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Manitoba receives first shipment of antiviral medication for COVID-19

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Manitoba has received its first shipment of Paxlovid – an oral antiviral drug used to treat COVID-19.

Dr. Brent Roussin, chief provincial public health officer, said at a news conference on Wednesday that 1,100 doses of the antiviral medication have arrived in Manitoba.

Roussin noted Paxlovid is not a substitute for vaccination.

“It’s not a substitution for following all the fundamentals, but those that are at higher risk, this is another tool available to prevent those severe outcomes,” he said.

To be eligible for the treatment, Manitobans have to meet a specific set of criteria, which can be found online.

The medication should be given within five days of the onset of symptoms.

Pfizer’s Paxlovid is the first oral and at-home prescription medication used to treat COVID-19 that has been authorized for use in Canada.

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