The World Health Organisation has recommended use of Pfizer’s antiviral drug ritonavir (Paxlovid) and Gilead Science’s remdesivir (Veklury)  to patients with non-severe COVID-19 who are at highest risk for hospitalisation. The recommendations are based on new data from several randomised controlled trials published in journals, including the BMJ. The two randomised controlled trials supporting the use of nirmatrelvir/ritonavir among this patient population involved 3,100 patients. Physicians should administer the antiviral combination as early as possible to eligible patients. The five randomised controlled trials supporting the use of remdesivir involved 2,700 patients.