Here's what you need to know about the new COVID-19 drug available in Sask.
The first antiviral COVID-19 drug treatment approved in Canada is now available in Saskatchewan.
Eligible residents 18 and over in the province now have access to Paxlovid, an oral prescription medication used to treat mild to moderate COVID-19 symptoms, the Provincial Emergency Operations Centre (PEOC) said in a news conference Wednesday morning.
Paxlovid is only being given to eligible patients through HealthLine 811 referrals. The province is asking those who feel they are eligible to not visit family physicians or a pharmacy to request the medication.
The province also said requests for Paxlovid is not expected to add to wait times in regards to HealthLine 811.
According to the province, wait times for the number are down and currently sitting around one hour for those with COVID-19 concerns.
“I’m very pleased to say that we have made progress in reducing those wait times,” Marlo Pritchard, Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency president, said.
“At it’s peak, HealthLine 811 had a 24 hour wait time and a list of over 2,000 people waiting for a call back, as of January 25, the average wait time is down to around one hour for COVID related calls.”
To address the increased need HealthLine 811 added 60 administrative staff to address general information calls and is in the process of adding more registered nurses from supplemental workflows.
Pritchard also wants residents to know that many questions being screened on HealthLine 811 can also be answered online.
Saskatchewan’s Chief Medical Health Officer Dr. Saqib Shahab reiterated Wednesday that Paxlovid is not meant to be a replacement for vaccination.
The treatment is meant for those who have already tested positive for COVID-19 and are experiencing mild to moderate symptoms.
The province said the pill is not meant for those with symptoms that would signal an emergency, such as shortness of breath. It is also not meant to be taken as a preventative measure.
The pill is taken twice per day for five days and stops the virus from multiplying in a person’s body.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.