Wednesday, the US Food and Drug Administration authorized the emergency use of Pfizer pills against COVID-19, in an important step in the fight against the epidemic that could allow millions of patients to obtain treatment.

"This approval provides a new tool to fight COVID-19 at a critical stage in the pandemic as there is an emergence of a new strain," FDA official Patricia Cavazzoni said in a statement.

The FDA says that these pills can be given to individuals, over the age of 12, who are at high risk of being infected with the virus, according to AFP.