ORLANDO, Fla. — Pfizer’s decision to seek Food and Drug Administration approval for its COVID-19 anti-viral treatment pill is a potential game-changer for the ongoing pandemic, medical experts said Tuesday.

What You Need To Know

  • COVID pill would help people who catch COViD-19, medical experts say

  • It would treat people who catch both COVID and the variant, they say

  • Pfizer is seeking FDA approval of its experimental COVID pill 

  • An NYU Medical Center expert still recommends getting vaccinated

The pill would allow people at high risk of getting infected with the COVID-19 virus to simply take an oral antiviral drug from the comfort of their own home.

Pfizer said its treatment pill reduces hospitalizations and death by 89%.

Pfizer only is requesting to use this treatment on unvaccinated individuals only at this time, Associate Medical Director for WorkCare Dr. Anthony Harris said. He noted that vaccinated people were not included in the trials.

Harris indicated that the plans for a COVID pill could mean the virus won’t be easing anytime soon, though.

“They are estimating about 115 doses to be made available and ready before the end of the year," Harris said. "They are going to ramp that (production) up throughout the entire 2022 period, so if you look at that, they aren’t estimating COVID is going anywhere for all of next year.”

Pfizer’s treatment would consist of three pills taken two times a day for five days. The pills are intended to be taken within the first few days of COVID symptoms.

New York University Medical Center’s Dr. Daniel Laroche, who has been on the front lines helping patients with the virus for more than a year, said the pill will help to fight COVID-19 and the Delta variant but he still would recommend getting a vaccine first instead of relying on the pill.

“Once you get COVID, you can still have symptoms that give you long-term symptoms, like shortness of breath and different things of that nature," Laroche emphasized. "It is better, if you cannot get COVID, or have the vaccine first to really strengthen your immune system to fight off this virus compared to after the fact.”

 Pfizer is not first to ask the FDA for approval on an antiviral pill for COVID. Merck also applied for authorization which the FA will review on November 30th.

 Both doctors said they would recommend the COVID pill if it is approved by the FDA, but getting a vaccine is still the most important action to take if you can.