A Retrospective Observational Study on COVID-19 Patients Receiving Treatment with Nirmatrelvir/Ritonavir (PAXLOVID)

This study was undertaken in COVID-19 patients treated with and without Paxlovid™ (Paxlovid) in an outpatient setting to determine hospitalization from the community.

This retrospective secondary data observational cohort study was conducted between February and November 2022. All patients diagnosed by polymerase chain reaction for COVID-19 and at risk of COVID-19 disease progression were offered Paxlovid in the outpatient setting. Potential associations between Paxlovid use and likelihood of hospitalization, antibiotic use, and other clinical outcomes were explored using regression models as appropriate (i.e., logistic, multinomial, ordinal), adjusted for World Health Organization risk classification.

Of 3011 COVID-19 patients offered Paxlovid, 2005 (67%) were treated with Paxlovid and 1006 (33%) chose not to take treatment. There was no evidence of a difference between groups in terms of vaccination status, viral load, age, or gender, although more patients of Arab ethnicity chose not to take treatment (p < 0.001). There were fewer hospital admissions in the group that took Paxlovid (p < 0.001). Some evidence of a reduction in the number of hospitalizations was found when adjusted for World Health Organization risk category (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.60, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.45-0.77), and a reduction was similarly found for the number of hospitalizations among patients with readmission (aOR 0.47, 95% CI 0.26-0.84). A reduction in the odds of antibiotic use was observed in the treated group for any cause (aOR 0.80, 95% CI 0.67-0.94) and specifically for COVID-19 (aOR 0.58, 95% CI 0.44-0.77).

Paxlovid treatment reduced hospitalization and antibiotic use, indicating its benefit in reducing severe outcomes and healthcare burden and supporting its use for reducing severe outcomes in COVID-19 patients.

ClinicalTrials.gov identifier, NCT06291831.