NHS will offer wonderdrug pill that cures Covid at home

A ‘GAME-changing’ pill which cures Covid at home will be available on the NHS to at-risk patients from next month.

The Government said thousands of vulnerable Britons, such as cancer patients, who catch coronavirus will be offered Paxlovid, an antiviral drug made by Pfizer, from February 10.

Studies show the drug cuts the risk of hospital admission or death by 88 per cent if it is taken within the first five days of symptoms appearing. The Government said it has ordered 2.75million courses of Paxlovid treatment and hopes it will save thousands of lives as Britain learns to live with Covid.

The drug is the second antiviral to be rolled out on the NHS after molnupiravir, which has been in use in the UK since December. Antivirals work by stopping Covid replicating during the early stage of infection.