South Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has authorised for emergency use Pfizer's antiviral pills targeting Covid-19 as the first of its kind to be introduced in South Korea, Reuters reports.

Pfizer's oral antiviral treatment, called Paxlovid, is "expected to help prevent serious deterioration of patients admitted to residential treatment centres or being treated at home", by diversifying coronavirus treatments beyond injections currently used in the field, drug safety minister Kim Gang-lip told a press briefing.

The drug will be used for adults or children 12 years or older weighing over 40 kilogrammes with mild to moderate symptoms with a high risk of developing a severe case of coronavirus due to causes such as underlying diseases.