A research team from HKUMed and D²4H conducted a real-world study on the inpatient use of oral antivirals during a pandemic wave dominated by the Omicron variant. The study showed that early initiation of oral antivirals in hospitalized patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 not requiring oxygen therapy on admission had significant clinical benefits, including reduced mortality, disease progression, and lower viral burden. The findings were published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases.