Do Oral Antivirals Lower Risk for Long COVID in Older Adults?

Among older Medicare recipients, use of nirmatrelvir-ritonavir or molnupiravir was associated with modest reductions in long COVID.

Multiple considerations inform the decision to prescribe an oral antiviral (nirmatrelvir-ritonavir [Paxlovid] or molnupiravir) to reduce risk for severe COVID-19, and the most important risk factor — age — should help drive that decision. What about risk for post–COVID-19 conditions (PCC; defined as new occurrence of 1 of 11 symptoms between 4 and 12 weeks after COVID-19 diagnosis) in those 65 and older?

In an observational study of oral antivirals and PCC, almost 4 million Medicare registrants with COVID-19 diagnoses between January and September 2022 were enrolled. After exclusions such as age <65 and inpatient admission, 57% remained. Of these participants, 19.5% received nirmatrelvir-ritonavir and 2.6% molnupiravir. Absolute risk reducti…

Reviewing Author

Daniel Kaul, MD

Disclosures

Grant/Research SupportNobelpharma; Pfizer

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesAmerican Society of Transplantation (Program Committee)

Daniel Kaul, MD

Disclosures

Grant/Research SupportNobelpharma; Pfizer

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesAmerican Society of Transplantation (Program Committee)

Do Oral Antivirals Lower Risk for Long COVID in Older Adults?

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Reviewing Author