Covid-19 antiviral pill could be a game changer, but vaccines are still America's way out of the pandemic, experts say

A pill that could potentially treat Covid-19 is a "game-changer," but experts are emphasizing that it's not an alternative to vaccinations -- which remain the most effective path to ending the coronavirus pandemic if enough people get their shots.

Yet, the average number of people getting vaccinated -- at 270,531 -- is the lowest it's been since August 15, according to Friday's data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A little over 65% of the eligible population is fully vaccinated, the data shows.

At the same time, the US hit a grim milestone Friday by surpassing 700,000 deaths from Covid-19, according to Johns Hopkins University's data. The US tops the world for Covid-19 deaths, followed by Brazil with nearly 600,000 fatalities, according to the data.