Pundits and netizens alike have long wondered what Joe Biden is being dosed with — and now they know.
The 79-year-old US president tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday, although White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre insisted he had only "very mild symptoms." The spokesperson also revealed he was taking the drug Paxlovid for the condition.
The treatment Biden is taking — produced by Pfizer, one of the two main beneficiaries of the US government's coronavirus vaccination program — combines two antiviral drugs: nirmatrelvir and ritonavir. A single dose is one tablet of ritonavir and two of nirmatrelvir.
Like the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, the combination of drugs was granted emergency use authorization by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in December 2021. The Big Pharma firm boasts its product is 88 percent effective in preventing hospitalization or death in patients as long as they start taking it within five days of the first symptoms.
Side effects of Paxlovid include interfering with the function of other medications. So if the president seems more confused and incoherent than normal over the next week or two, you'll know why.
The combo drug also causes diarrhea in three to four percent of patients. The social media hashtag #PoopyPantsBiden went viral last autumn after rumors emerged that the White House resident had a "bathroom accident" just before meeting Pope Francis at the Vatican.
Five to six percent of users also find their sense of taste affected, so "Grandpa Joe" may not be able to fully enjoy his ice cream for a while.
The drug is not recommended for pregnant and breastfeeding women — not something Biden has to worry about.
There is no mention of contra-indications for patients with cancer, which the White House was forced to hurriedly deny Biden was suffering from after he blurted it out in a speech attacking the oil industry.