I don't have any insight into hospitalizations, but as someone who was not vaccinated at the time I came down with COVID-19, Paxlovid was the difference between feeling utterly horrible and barely being able to get out of bed to being able to work remotely at full productivity. I took the first dose on the first morning and by the next morning the difference was night and day. I too experienced the bizarre changes in flavors, but that was a very small price to pay for immediately ending my symptoms. I still did the full quarantine duration, but the quality of life was so much better!
Same. I had one night of fever and incredible chills. Thought for sure I was going to get very sick. Got Paxlovid next day. Felt better the following day. It was like having a cold, and I don't think that would have happened without the Paxlovid.
I also had one night of fever and incredible chills, followed by two days of no symptoms. No Paxlovid. (But then I did get bad cold-like symptoms for a week, and what seems to be long Covid...)
