PRAGUE, Aug. 23 (Xinhua) -- The Czech Ministry of Health announced on Tuesday that it has reached an agreement with the drug company Pfizer on supplies of antiviral drug Paxlovid used to treat COVID-19.
According to the ministry, the supply should be sufficient for the expected autumn wave and the first shipments will arrive in September.
"I am very happy that we will soon be able to offer another fully reimbursed and highly effective antiviral drug against COVID-19 to all Czech patients who need it. The pandemic is not over yet. COVID is a deadly disease for which we must be prepared," said Minister of Health Vlastimil Valek in a statement.
Paxlovid is administered orally in the form of a pill and has been shown to be highly effective at preventing serious disease and death associated with COVID-19. The ministry said that its effectiveness in preventing hospitalization and death was 88 percent.
The drug, meant for patients with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 and who are at high risk of severe disease, will be offered on the basis of a prescription from a general practitioner or specialist through a total of 58 hospital pharmacies across the country, the ministry said.
Pfizer Country Manager in the Czech Republic Pavel Sedlacek said in a statement that he was proud of the company for developing not only a highly effective vaccine but also a treatment that could help prevent severe disease and death, as well as reduce associated medical costs.
The Czech Republic reported 2,545 new COVID-19 cases on Monday. To date, the country has recorded over 4 million cases and 40,747 deaths, according to official data. Meanwhile, nearly 6.9 million people in the country, which has a population of about 10.5 million, have been fully vaccinated. ■