First pills shipment to treat COVID19 lands in Israel

Israel received its first shipment of Pfizer's Paxlovid pills on Thursday, becoming one of the first countries to obtain the drug.

Paxlovid is the first pill approved for the treatment of COVID-19. It can be taken orally at home to ward off the most severe symptoms of the coronavirus, in contrast to other authorized drugs which require an IV or injection.

Israel was among the first countries to roll out Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine a year ago and began freely offering boosters last summer.

But it still saw a wave of infections blamed on the delta variant, and officials have warned of another driven by the fast-spreading omicron.

Israeli media reported that the country's first shipment of Paxlovid consists of 20,000 doses, with more expected as Pfizer ramps up production.

Israel currently has more than 20,000 active patients, including 94 who are seriously ill. At least 8,243 people have died from COVID-19 in Israel since the start of the pandemic.

IMAGE: AP