The U.K. was the first country to approve a COVID-19 vaccine; it has now become the first to approve an at-home treatment for COVID. On Thursday, the medicines regulator, MHRA, green-lit the antiviral drug molnupiravir, produced by Ridgeback Biotherapeutics and Merck & Co. and shown in trials to halve the risk of hospitalization or death in those with mild to moderate disease.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid called it a "historic day for our country.” For once that might not be an overstatement. Beyond Britain, the new drug should be a reminder of the importance of antivirals in the fight against this and future pandemics. Friday’s announcement by Pfizer Inc. of even better results for its home remedy — an 89% reduction of hospitalizations and deaths in late-stage trials — suggest it won’t be far behind. Pfizer, whose shares jumped on the news, is seeking emergency use authorization in the U.S.

The molnupiravir approval and Pfizer development couldn’t be timelier for the U.K.. Britain has had a stubbornly high COVID-19 infection rate. Although the most recent wave has not led to a marked increase in deaths from the virus, hospitals face a gargantuan backlog of delayed procedures, COVID-19 wards are fuller than is comfortable and there are worries that a bad flu season could tip an overstretched health service into deeper crisis.