As we told you on Tuesday, Vice President Kamala Harris has tested positive for Covid.
She tweeted, “I have no symptoms, and I will continue to isolate and follow CDC guidelines” and “I’m grateful to be both vaccinated and boosted”:
Today I tested positive for COVID-19. I have no symptoms, and I will continue to isolate and follow CDC guidelines. I’m grateful to be both vaccinated and boosted.
— Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) April 26, 2022
Actually, that’s double boosted. The vice president got the second jab on April 1:
Vice Pres. Kamala Harris, who received her second booster shot on April 1, doesn't have any symptoms. https://t.co/RKLjqc4SY3 pic.twitter.com/JABaAHM5n9
— ABC News (@ABC) April 26, 2022
And the vice president’s office announced last night that she’ll be taking Pfizer’s antiviral pill, Paxlovid:
Today, after consultation with her physicians, the Vice President was prescribed and has taken Paxlovid.
— Kirsten Allen (@KirstenAllen46) April 26, 2022
But why? She has no symptoms:
The VP is taking Paxlovid, Pfizer's antiviral pill that can reduce severity and helps prevent hospitalization or death among those at high risk. Testing is a critical part of getting Paxlovid because it's supposed to be administered within days of onset of symptoms. https://t.co/2E7NP9USYV
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) April 26, 2022
And people are starting to question it.
From University of Pittsburgh professor of medicine Dr. Walid Gellad: “I have no symptoms, and I will continue to isolate and follow CDC guidelines. I’m grateful to be both vaccinated and boosted”:
The VP is quadruple vaccinated with no symptoms and is taking paxlovid. Not the clinical trial population. https://t.co/346RlBL2xP
— Walid Gellad, MD MPH (@walidgellad) April 27, 2022
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He added, “I understand who this person is, but isn’t this prescribing even outside of the EUA, which is for people with Covid (e.g., symptoms)?”:
I understand who this person is, but isn’t this prescribing even outside of the EUA, which is for people with Covid (e.g., symptoms)?
— Walid Gellad, MD MPH (@walidgellad) April 27, 2022
Here’s the EUA from the FDA that says it’s for patients “who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death”:
EMERGENCY USE AUTHORIZATION The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for the emergency use of the unapproved product PAXLOVID for the treatment of mild-to-moderate coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in adults and pediatric patients (12 years of age and older weighing at least 40 kg) with positive results of direct severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) viral testing, and who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death.
Vice President Harris is 57, and as far as we know, in good health. Does she really need it? Dr. Gellad noted that the drug is “not even authorized or tested” in asymptomatic people:
It’s totally different if you have zero symptoms. In my view. It’s not even authorized or tested in this group. But again, I’m not her doctor. pic.twitter.com/IqjCO0zkiH
— Walid Gellad, MD MPH (@walidgellad) April 27, 2022
But maybe there is a reason she’s taking it. “Who knows”:
If there are symptoms then it fits within the drugs indication and testing. Maybe her viral load is really high from pcr. Who knows.
— Walid Gellad, MD MPH (@walidgellad) April 27, 2022
What we *do* know is that the White House is pushing this “miracle pill”:
Almost all COVID deaths can be prevented if people who test positive take Paxlovid. We are taking steps to make this "miracle pill" easy to get and widely available.
— Ronald Klain (@WHCOS) April 26, 2022
That’s not really a “miracle pill”:
It's not a "miracle pill" but it's the most important breakthrough for the pandemic beyond vaccines— as long as 💊are widely, quickly available and we don't see resistance develop. Applaud the administration's efforts now (finally) to make this happen 👋https://t.co/lcAtZU4RJW https://t.co/SgK7OivLMK
— Eric Topol (@EricTopol) April 26, 2022
So, did politics have anything to do with the vice president taking the drug?
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