Covid-19 antiviral pills may not be available in Ireland till end of next month

The pills can be taken at home and are similar to an antibiotic, but are in short supply globally

Pfizer claims its antiviral pill Paxlovid can reduce the chances of hospitalisation and death by 89 per cent while Merck’s Molnupiravir has been shown to be 30 per cent effective. Picture: Rollingnews.ie

New antiviral pills which treat Covid-19 will not arrive in Ireland until next month, according to the HSE, with sources indicating it will be closer to the end of February.

The government is attempting to procure three new Covid-19 treatments, including antiviral pills produced by Pfizer and Merck and monoclonal antibody infusions developed by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK).

When given within five days of infection, Pfizer claims its antiviral pill Paxlovid can reduce the chances of hospitalisation ...