The Food and Drug Administration authorized on Wednesday the first pill to help treat COVID-19. 

Soon, millions of Americans will have the option to take Pfizer’s new drug aimed at curbing hospitalizations and deaths of people who have COVID-19.  

The news of the pill, called Paxlovid, comes as positive cases soared this month, largely due to the highly transmittable COVID-19 omicron variant that’s inundating hospitals.  

The Washington Post reported that tens of thousands of pill packs sat in a warehouse in Memphis ready to be distributed around the country once the FDA approved the drug. 

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Initial supplies of Paxlovid will be limited, but the drug reportedly had mild side effects and strong effectiveness, per AP. Pharmaceutical giant Merck is also waiting for its COVID-19 pill to be authorized.  

“The efficacy is high; the side effects are low and it’s oral. It checks all the boxes,” Dr. Gregory Poland of the Mayo Clinic told the Associated Press. “You’re looking at a 90% decreased risk of hospitalization and death in a high-risk group—that’s stunning.” 

Pfizer’s COVID-19 pill is geared toward high-risk people 12 years old and older and who have tested positive.  

“Paxlovid is available by prescription only and should be initiated as soon as possible after diagnosis of COVID-19 and within five days of symptom onset,” the FDA said in a statement.  

The Biden administration said last month it would spend $5.295 billion on 10 million treatment courses of the drug and that it would “mark a significant step forward in our path out of the pandemic,” CNN reported.