Pfizer pill authorized by U.S. to reduce the risk of hospitalization and death from COVID-19

The US has authorized a Pfizer pill that can be taken at home to reduce the risk of hospitalization and death from COVID-19.

The Food and Drug Administration announcement comes as America braces for a wave of new infections from the Omicron variant that is threatening already-strained hospitals.

Pfizer's prescription pill is the first U-S medication that doesn't require an injection or an I-V.

The drug was authorized for high-risk patients who are most likely to get severe illness.