The mitigating effect of antivirals strongly depends on the onset of their distribution ( Figure 2 ). Antivirals can delay the epidemic if distributed very early while few cases exist in the population. Late distribution of antivirals (e.g. starting on day 30) leads to the paradoxical effect that the stockpile is exhausted even quicker compared to early distribution (shaded areas und the curves in Figure 2 ). Additionally, the mitigating effect of the intervention drastically diminishes and benefits are restricted to lowering the peak of the epidemic. Unrestricted availability of drugs (grey curves in Figure 2 ) still leads to an epidemic because (i) asymptomatic and moderately sick cases are not eligible for treatment, (ii) patients visit a doctor on average 24 hours after onset of symptoms while already being highly infectious and (iii) antivirals cannot fully prevent infectivity. Figure 3A ). In contrast, the mitigating effect becomes negligible, if antivirals are distributed with delay ( Figure 3B ). Independent of the delay in the distribution of antivirals, their quantitative availability affects only the height of the peak of the epidemic, but hardly the mitigation of the epidemic ( Figure 3A , B). For considerations into the final size of the epidemic see below. In summary, delaying the epidemic depends on early action, whereby lowering the peak depends on the quantitative availability of antivirals.