A Nature Communications target trial emulation found that nirmatrelvir/ritonavir (Paxlovid) and molnupiravir reduced the risk of cardiovascular events after COVID‑19 infection. The study used large observational datasets and causal inference methods to emulate randomized comparisons, reporting decreased incidence of myocardial injury and other cardiac outcomes in treated cohorts. Authors emphasized consistent protective signals across subgroups and called for confirmatory randomized data where feasible. Findings may influence prescribing patterns for high-risk patients and feed into ongoing evaluations of antivirals’ long-term benefits beyond acute viral suppression.