BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Erie County Department of Health is highlighting some new options for COVID treatment.
It says anyone age 12 and up, who tests positive and is symptomatic, may be eligible for one of two oral anti-viral medications that have been authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The county says there is a five-day window where these two medications may have an effect on preventing more serious illness in COVID patients.
Prescriptions are needed for both treatments, which are called Paxlovid and molnupiravir. Erie County health officials say the reduced risk of hospitalization for Paxlovid was about 88 percent, and for molnupiravir it was around 30 percent.
"There is a five-day window where these two medications may have an effect on preventing more serious illness in COVID-19 patients," Erie County health commissioner Dr. Gale Burstein said in a statement. "That is why we are sharing this information widely, so our medical community and the general public know about these options."
The New York State Department of Health says both medications are available at select pharmacies in Western New York.
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