It is the first and only drug approved by the FDA to prevent COVID-19 after exposure to the virus.
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has launched a drug to prevent COVID-19 after exposure.
It is the first and only preventive oral medication approved by the agency.
The antiviral drug, called XOCOVA, is a five-day pill regimen approved for people ages 12 and older.
Take three tablets on the first day of treatment and one tablet on the second to fifth days. It works by stopping the virus from replicating before symptoms appear. According to drugmaker Shionogi.
The preventive treatment reduced the risk of developing symptomatic COVID-19 by 67% during the drug trial compared with placebo.
Common side effects include headache, diarrhea and cough.
COVID-19, or coronavirus disease 2019, is a disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. It is highly contagious and can spread quickly.
Common mild symptoms may include fever, cough, tiredness, and loss of taste or smell, while symptoms in severe cases may include difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, loss of speech or movement, confusion, and chest pain.
Most cases are mild to moderate and do not require hospitalization or medical intervention. However, severe cases can be life-threatening.
According to the World Health Organization, approximately 1.2 million people in the United States are believed to have died from COVID-19 between 2019 and June 1, 2024. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
