As expected, the Capital Region is experiencing a post-holiday surge of COVID-19.
“I’m fully vaccinated with the booster. I work in the school district so I’m always masked up,” said Tim Farley.
Farley, a longtime co-principal at Ichabod Crane’s Middle School, contracted the virus shortly after the new year began.
What You Need To Know
- Paxlovid, a pill manufactured by Pfizer, was approved by the FDA for emergency use in December
- The drug is being used to treat mild-to-moderate cases of the virus in adults and others over the age of 12
- Supply is low with with only three pharmacies in Albany County receiving an initial allotment
“It was last Thursday morning. It started up with this dry, hacking cough and a pain in my back,” Farley said. “As the day progressed, I became very congested.”
It was a scary condition for a father of four, living with a heart condition. So he called his doctor seeking advice and treatment.
“I spoke to a nurse practitioner. She could hear the concern in my voice,” he said.
But she had a solution.
It’s called Paxlovid and Farley’s doctor’s office was able to track it down at Central Avenue Pharmacy — one of only three pharmacies to receive the medication in Albany County.
“We’ve actually gotten rid of our first batch we received,” said Director of Pharamacy Operation Sarah Walton. “They sent us 20 doses of it. And we just got another round of doses in.”
It’s mostly used to treat mild-to-moderate cases of COVID-19 in adults and others over the age of 12.
“Other than a non-completely healthy adult, you probably qualify for it,” said an intern at the pharmacy Ramy Houacine. “Essentially, they’re trying to prevent from it progressing to the point where you would need to be hospitalized.”
And it appears to be working well, according to a number of customers at the pharmacy.
“Every single one said they had a strange metalic taste in their mouth or off taste in their mouth,” Houacine said. “But other than that, everyone seemed to tolerate it really well and everyone’s getting better.”
Farley can relate to that.
“By Friday night, all the congestion in my head was gone, all of it in my head, everything,” Farley said. “I could breath totally normal.”
Pharmacists are hoping the supply of Paxlovid improves over the coming weeks and months as it appears to be the most effective therapeutic on the market.
And as for Farley, he’ll be forever grateful for the new drug.
“It was miraculous,” he said.
