The Associated Press reports that France was the first in the EU to use Pfizer tablets to treat COVID this week.
Paxlovid is the first EU-approved drug for respiratory viral diseases. The Ministry of Health in Paris announced yesterday that the first 10,000 doses will be available in French pharmacies from Friday.
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They will be given to adults with symptoms that do not require oxygen respiration and are not at risk of complications, as recommended by the European Medicines Agency (EMA). Last week, the EMA approved the use of Paxlovid in the EU after the drug was approved in the United States and the United Kingdom in December.
A similar antiviral pill developed by Merck is expected to be approved soon. According to the creators of both drugs, they will be effective against Omicron.