Pfizer's coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pill Paxlovid is manufactured in Freiburg, Germany, in this undated image obtained by Reuters on November 16, 2021. (Photo: REUTERS)

The recommendation comes as thousands of people die of COVID-19 every week, despite a waning global infection rate.

Of existing COVID-19 treatments, Pfizer's Paxlovid is by far the most potent, the WHO said.Other therapies include Merck & Co's rival pill molnupiravir, Gilead Sciences' intravenous remdesivir and antibody treatments. A WHO analysis of two Paxlovid clinical trials involving nearly 3,100 patients suggested it reduced the risk of hospitalisation by 85%.