Many Americans Not Taking Nirmatrelvir/Ritonavir, Despite Proven Effectiveness For COVID-19

The New York Times (1/4, Jewett) reports, “As Covid rises again, killing about 1,500 Americans each week, medical researchers are trying to understand why so few people are taking Paxlovid [nirmatrelvir/ritonavir], a medicine that is stunningly effective in preventing severe illness and death from the disease.” According to an NIH study, “only about 15 percent who were eligible for the drug took it.” Researchers noted that “reluctance seems to come from doctors worried about interactions with other drugs and people wary of a possible rebound case or the metallic aftertaste.” The findings were published as a preprint on medRxiv.