During a recent appearance on Fox News, Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) spoke with Sean Hannity about best practices regarding COVID-19 treatment. The conversation came in the wake of Vice President Kamala Harris recently announcing that she tested positive for COVID-19. According to a spokesperson, Harris, who is vaccinated and double boosted, is currently taking Pfizer’s antiviral pill, Paxlovid. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized Paxlovid for emergency use to treat mild to moderate COVID-19 in people 12 and older who are high-risk. Paxlovid is only available by prescription.
Hannity asked Paul to confirm that once the COVID-19 infection enters the lungs, the damage is done, and suggested that medicine should be more proactive by providing people with antivirals and monoclonal antibody infusions sooner.
Paul, who is an ophthalmologist, opined that early treatment is essential but is opposed to providing treatment to someone who does not exhibit COVID-19 symptoms. By way of example, Paul argued that Harris is fully vaccinated, which provides her with a decent immunity defense, and so he was critical of doctors prescribing the Vice President Paxlovid. “I don't think giving her a $300 treatment is a good idea,” Paul said.
