UNADILLA, Ga. — If you test positive for COVID-19, you may now qualify for a brand new treatment. You may find the COVID pill starting this week at eight locations in Central Georgia.
Ewan Gould's father got diagnosed with COVID-19 at 84 years old.
"Nobody wants to be in the hospital if they can avoid it," said Gould.
Unadilla Drug Company will soon have the new COVID-19 pill available by prescription for people at high risk.
"Obviously, it was a terrible worry for us. He did come through it. He did spend a few days in hospital, but he was not on a ventilator," said Gould.
Gould's father did contract a serious infection in the hospital.
"If we have had the pill sooner and he came down with COVID and could have stayed at home and taken the pill to reduce the effects of COVID, and not had to go in the hospital -- I am not saying for sure, but we may not be fighting what he's fighting right now," said Gould.
Jennifer Hoffman, an infectious disease doctor at Piedmont Medical, says the anti-viral Paxlovid pill seems to be an effective treatment, but it's no substitute for vaccination.
"It reduces your risk of hospitalization or death by close to 90% if it's given within the first 3-5 days of symptoms, so that means you're going to have to be pretty on-the-ball, so the second you have a symptom, you are going to have to go get a test because you have to have a positive test in order to get this pill. Then, you're going to have to get in with your doctor and get it prescribed to you," said Hoffman.
When prescribed the pill, there will be no cost to you. You would take three pills twice a day for five days.
"If you could treat yourself at home with this pill in the comfort of your own home, I would be all for it," said Gould.
Hoffman says supplies are limited, so right now, the pill is prescribed only for those at the highest risk.
Here is a list of locations of where it's available: