An antiviral is not an antibiotic.

Paxlovid (click here) is an oral antiviral pill that can be taken at home to help keep high-risk patients from getting so sick that they need to be hospitalized. So, if you test positive for the coronavirus and a health care provider writes you a prescription, you can take pills at home and lower your risk of going to the hospital. You can also get Paxlovid directly from your pharmacist, provided you can give the pharmacist your electronic or printed medical records, including a list of medications you are already taking, and blood test results from the last 12 months....

Understanding antivirals is different than understanding bacterial infections.

Antibiotics disrupt cell membranes of the bacteria and eliminate the infection. An antibiotic is best taken as prescribed for the ten days. It takes ten days to completely eliminate the bacteria. If antibiotics are not completed the remaining bacteria can bounce back as a resistant bacteria and then the infection is even more difficult to eliminate.

Antivirals are about viral load. The antivirals interfere with the virus ability to replicate. In interfering with replication limits the number of virus in the body, hence, the term "viral load." 

COVID and it's variants typically run it's course in 13 days unless there is tissue damage and patients have a far more difficult time in recovery. The COVID pill works best if taken within the first 5 days, because, the viral load has not exploded. The course of the virus replication is now reduced to 8 days when the virus is not suppressed by an antiviral. The most dangerous viral load of these coronavirus, with the interference of the pill, is reduced at the least and is primarily a nuisance.

The viral load is so suppressed by the anti-viral a person will test negative after the last set of pills is taken. Understanding there is still some virus in the body, the bounce occurs after the end of the medication and usually after a negative test. Why? Because there is still some viral load, but, not enough to continue to build a large infection.

Paxlovid suppresses replication. These coronavirus of COVID is large and causes cell damage after it replicates and ruptures the cell to enter the body and infect more cells. The cell damage by these virus is more of a problem than the virus itself. The ability to avoid cell damage is difficult and is highly individual. Every antiviral that suppresses replication is protecting cells and proper functioning of the immune system. These antivirals are very important. They are protective as well as suppressive of the viral load. 

I am sure all that is clear as mud, but, the fact of the matter is the COVID pills work and should be taken as prescribed. They will help protect body cells from being invaded by the virus, hence, reducing the number of virus the body has to fight and overcome.

It is not unusual to have a bounce in viral load after the full course of the antiviral because like bacteria there will be virus still in the body. They will replicate and a positive test after a negative is not unusual. Please do not see a positive test after the five days of pills as a failure of the therapy. It is not a failure. It is the normal course of viral suppression by the body after developing it's own antibodies.

Please understand an infection of COVID-19 or any of it's variants is still serious disease and should not be viewed as a minor annoyance. There are serious effects of these virus resulting in permanent changes in the way the body functions. The worse of the lingering effects of the virus is Long COVID. 

I read an article some time ago saying that Vitamin D is a resistant to the virus. Of the people who became ill with the virus, those least effected had a healthy level of Vitamin D which would explain why summers see less infections than winters, when people are outside far more often then in the winter. I have been taking Vitamin D orally daily for a decade or more when normal levels were maintained it ended chronic pain.

The Vitamin D phenomena if it is sincerely correct research in relation to COVID is more a level of healthy body chemistry with proper levels of vitamins and minerals daily. Why expect the body to be able to fight off insults to it if it doesn't have all the building blocks it needs?

Take medicine as prescribed for the entire length of time required. Beat the infection, otherwise, it will beat you.

Oh, by the way. 

Masks work.

Social distancing works.

Hand hygiene works, especially when touching the face.

Stay well.

Have a good evening.

To get weapons of war off the street

Provide a $3000 tax credit to directly come off the total taxes owed on individual tax returns starting retroactively to 2021 taxes. The weapons of war will have to be turned into a local police station for melt down and a numbered receipt will be issued to receive the tax credit. 

$3000 is more than a person has to pay for the weapon and there can be abuse in purchasing a weapon just to pay taxes due. Therefore serial numbers on the guns will have to be reported to ATF, not the persons ID, along with the date sold. That information will be available to police and/sheriffs to valid a receipt for the tax credit. If a weapon of war serial number is listed as purchased after a start date of January 1, 2021 the credit will only be a 25 percent credit of the manufacturer’s recommended list price.

There is no requirement to list gun dealer or price paid otherwise. Commercial entities that want to purge itself of such weapons may do so but the credit reverts to the price paid with a required purchase receipt. 

Ammunition can receive a separate receipt for $1.00 per round with disposal determined by local law enforcement authorities. 

By allowing such tax credits for commercial interests, gun dealers will have a method of recouping any potential losses with a potential assault weapons ban. The assault weapons ban does not have to be the same bill as the “Weapons of War Tax Credit Act.” There should be no sundown date for either of these bills.

Police departments know these types of measures work when they offer people the opportunity to relinquish guns voluntarily without requiring ID to do so. These types of voluntary gun surrendering works because after an American owns one they realize the danger and responsibility to them and their household in securing any gun regardless of semi-automatic status.