{"id":930424,"date":"2026-10-12T16:10:12","date_gmt":"2026-10-12T16:10:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/930424\/"},"modified":"2026-10-12T16:10:12","modified_gmt":"2026-10-12T16:10:12","slug":"doctors-explain-how-xocova-the-new-covid-preventive-medicine-works","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/930424\/","title":{"rendered":"Doctors Explain How Xocova, The New COVID Preventive Medicine, Works"},"content":{"rendered":"

At this point, most people have experienced the joy of spending time with a friend or family member, only to get an \u201cI just tested positive for COVID\u201d text the next day.<\/p>\n

Until now, there wasn\u2019t much you could do other than sit and wait to see if you get sick, too. However, earlier this summer, the Food and Drug Administration approved a COVID-19<\/a> prevention pill, Xocova, for people 12 and up who are directly exposed to someone with the illness. The medication is designed to help keep you from coming down with COVID.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, your best friend at work tells you they\u2019re home sick and they\u2019ve just had a positive home test, and you were exposed. You can get in touch with your healthcare provider and take this medication,\u201d said Dr. William Schaffner<\/a>, a professor of preventive medicine in the department of health policy at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt will substantially diminish your risk of getting COVID, particularly if you begin it as quickly as possible after the exposure,\u201d Schaffner said.<\/p>\n

Studies show that when you take the medication<\/a> within three days of exposure, it reduces your chance of getting COVID by two-thirds. \u201cAnd even if you do get COVID, the infection seems to be milder and somewhat briefer,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

While Xocova is the only post-exposure COVID-targeting prevention drug on the market, other pharmaceutical companies are working on additional treatment options, such as a nasal spray that will (hopefully) prevent<\/a> COVID, too.<\/p>\n

The pill is not for protection when going to large events or traveling.<\/p>\n

Xocova is meant to be used by those who have a major COVID exposure. \u201cIt\u2019s really people you live with, people that you\u2019re sharing an office cubicle space with,\u201d said Dr. Mark Loafman<\/a>, a family physician in Chicago. \u201cThat\u2019s the kind of contact that makes COVID spread.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not meant to be taken after you go to a concert as a way to stay well. It\u2019s also not meant to be taken as a preventive before a big event, like a show or vacation.<\/p>\n

\u201cCould you take it before you go to the concert? There\u2019s no indication that it works that way,\u201d Schaffner said. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t tested that way. It might offer some benefit, but I don\u2019t think most doctors are going to be that free, shall I say, with prescribing the medication.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"There\u2019s<\/p>\n

Xavier Lorenzo via Getty Images<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a newly approved medication that reduces the chance of developing COVID-19 after exposure to the illness.<\/p>\n

It may cause mild side effects.<\/p>\n

This medication is what\u2019s known as a \u201cprotease inhibitor,\u201d and doctors have a \u201cton of experience\u201d with these kinds of medications for viral infection treatment, Loafman said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wouldn\u2019t think of it as a new, experimental medicine in that sense,\u201d Loafman said.<\/p>\n

It can cause mild side effects such as GI upset, congestion and muscle aches. Specifically in the trials, there were \u201crelatively few side effects,\u201d said Schaffner, including diarrhea, headache and cough.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wouldn\u2019t be surprised if there\u2019s mild symptoms like that, but generally we know that\u2019s preferable to a COVID infection, which is going to be all that and probably more,\u201d Loafman said.<\/p>\n

This is a short-term medication that\u2019s taken for five days, so the symptoms are pretty mild and short-lived, Schaffner added.<\/p>\n

It is expensive, which could keep many people from taking it, Loafman said. Without insurance, Xocova can cost up to $1,400. Certain private insurance plans cover the medication, so it\u2019ll be much cheaper for some people and even free under some health insurance plans and assistance programs.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt looks like there are efforts underway to make sure it\u2019s available,\u201d Loafman added.<\/p>\n

This medication is not a replacement for the COVID-19 vaccine.<\/p>\n

\u201cPrimary prevention, we call it, is always better. That\u2019s when you have your own immune system\u201d fighting infections, Loafman said. Meaning, it\u2019s best to boost your immune system by getting the COVID-19 vaccine.<\/p>\n

The medication can be another prevention method, on top of the vaccine, but shouldn\u2019t be a replacement for the shot.<\/p>\n

\u201cDefinitely don\u2019t skip the vaccine. Don\u2019t wait for this [medication] to be your rescue source. But if you need it, talk to your doctor about it and see if it\u2019s an option based on your exposure situation,\u201d Loafman said.<\/p>\n

Schaffner added, \u201cThe first thing we always recommend is COVID vaccination. Obviously, with a special emphasis for people at high risk, those who are older than 65, but anyone with an underlying medical condition, and of course, if you\u2019re immune-compromised.\u201d <\/p>\n

Additionally, \u201cfollow the precautions \u2014 cover your sneezes, wash your hands, try to stay home or work remote when you\u2019re sick for those first few days,\u201d Loafman said.<\/p>\n

Wearing a high-quality mask also protects you from getting COVID-19, in addition to other viruses like the flu and the common cold.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t let your guard down just because there is now this preventive antiviral treatment, Loafman said. \u201cThis is additional; it\u2019s not a replacement.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"At this point, most people have experienced the joy of spending time with a friend or family member,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":930425,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[49,48,20823,84,392,66894,2727],"class_list":["post-930424","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-healthcare","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-covid-19","tag-health","tag-healthcare","tag-illness","tag-public-health"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/930424","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=930424"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/930424\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/930425"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=930424"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=930424"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=930424"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}