Paxlovid Stock for 88,276 People... Prescriptions Completed for 74,514 People

Change to Confirmation System by Rapid Antigen Test
Oral Antiviral Treatment Can Be Prescribed Quickly

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Young-won] It has been revealed that approximately 74,000 doses of the oral antiviral treatment (Paxlovid) introduced in Korea have been prescribed.

According to the Central Disease Control Headquarters (CDCH) on the 18th, as of 6:30 PM on the 17th, the total stock of oral antiviral treatments was 88,276 doses, with 74,514 doses used. This is about 7,000 doses more than the 67,000 doses of Paxlovid used as of the 16th, which was previously disclosed by the CDCH.

By prescription target for Paxlovid, the breakdown is ▲home treatment 58,418 ▲living treatment centers 944 ▲infectious disease specialized hospitals 15,152 doses. Paxlovid is currently prescribed to COVID-19 confirmed patients aged 60 and above, immunocompromised individuals, and patients in their 40s and 50s with underlying conditions.

Usage and stock by region are ▲Seoul 12,802 · 10,084 ▲Busan 8,987 · 4,889 ▲Daegu 5,040 · 2,450 ▲Incheon 4,599 · 3,576 ▲Gwangju 1,485 · 1,425 ▲Daejeon 1,685 · 1,291 ▲Ulsan 1,231 · 1,166 ▲Sejong 244 · 274 ▲Gyeonggi 16,704 · 9,745 ▲Gangwon 2,169 · 2,564 ▲Chungbuk 2,454 · 1,535 ▲Chungnam 2,004 · 1,862 ▲Jeonbuk 3,590 · 2,195 ▲Jeonnam 3,581 · 2,649 ▲Gyeongbuk 3,495 · 2,338 ▲Gyeongnam 3,904 · 3,407 ▲Jeju 540 · 834 doses. The stockpile centrally reserved is 35,992 doses.

When asked about plans to increase Paxlovid administration on the day, Jeong Tong-ryong, head of the CDCH general coordination team, said, "Due to the nature of Paxlovid, which must be administered within five days of symptom onset, delays in PCR testing or diagnosis may have made administration difficult," adding, "Once the confirmation system using professional rapid antigen tests is established, Paxlovid can be supplied more quickly." He also added, "Since the number of medical institutions capable of in-hospital prescriptions is increasing, prescription accessibility will gradually improve."

The government is reviewing various measures such as early introduction of existing contracted quantities or additional purchases by the end of March in response to the increasing demand for Paxlovid.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.