A panel of US health experts has voted to recommend Merck's Covid pill for high-risk adults — a new form of treatment that is easy to administer and could prove better able to withstand variants, including Omicron.

Molnupiravir, already authorised in Britain, has been shown to reduce the rate of hospitalisations and deaths among people at high risk of developing severe Covid, when it is taken within five days of symptom onset.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which convened the meeting, is now expected to grant an emergency use authorisation (EUA) for the treatment, meaning millions of courses will soon be stocked in pharmacies, AFP reported.