More people are already eligible for COVID-19 antiviral treatments – treatments that may be able to reduce severe symptoms and prevent hospitalization.
There are currently four treatments for the new coronavirus, but the most affordable and universal is Paxlovid, a drug that can now be prescribed by a doctor to certain patients at risk.
“It’s great to have this option,” Dr. Tara Kieran, a family doctor and Fidani’s chair of improvement and innovation at the University of Toronto, told CTV News Toronto this week.
“I think in the last few weeks, when I had people who had COVID, I referred them to our local COVID assessment center, and now we have all the materials and processes in our own. setting up to feel comfortable so you can do it safely for the right people. “
WHAT IS THIS TREATMENT?
Paxlovid is an oral medicine that should be taken within five days of the onset of symptoms. Those taking the medicine should take three pills twice a day for five consecutive days.
Kieran said Paxlovid was originally studied in “unvaccinated patients in the Delta era,” but there are some studies that suggest it is effective with the Omicron variant.
“Experts say that if people are at high risk of progression to a serious illness, then this is a drug where the benefits are likely to outweigh the risks and should be considered,” Kieran said. “And they kind of clarified based on your age and chronic conditions and the number of vaccination doses you have, whether you’re going to be considered high-risk or not.”
WHO CAN GET IT?
Treatment is recommended for people who are at higher risk of severe symptoms or hospitalization, not for the general public.
Earlier this week, the province published a list of groups that already qualify for both antiviral treatment and PCR tests:
• Persons aged 18 and over who are immunocompromised
• Persons aged 70 and over
• People aged 60 and over with less than three doses of vaccine
• People aged 18 and over with less than three doses of vaccine and at least one risk condition (eg chronic disease, heart disease, obesity, diabetes, etc.)
Individuals experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 can also make an online assessment on the provincial website to determine if they should seek treatment.
The province also said that a healthcare provider may prescribe Paxlovid to those outside these groups based on individual circumstances.
WILL MY DOCTOR PRESCRIBE ME?
Eligible individuals are encouraged to contact their family physician to discuss whether this antiviral treatment is appropriate for them before potentially becoming infected with the virus.
Kieran said eligible people should be prepared with a list of medications they are currently taking.
“(Paxlovid) has some potentially very serious drug interactions,” she said. “That’s why we need to be careful about weighing the risks and benefits.”
Before asking a doctor to prescribe medication, patients must also confirm that they actually have COVID-19 by taking a rapid antigen test or going to a clinical evaluation center for a PCR test.
However, Kieran urged people who experience symptoms of COVID-19 who test negative in a rapid test to also do a PCR test, as they are much more accurate.
WHERE CAN I GET THE DRUGS?
Paxlovid can be obtained at a clinical assessment center or at one of more than 2,000 pharmacies in Ontario with a doctor’s prescription. The provincial government says it plans to have more pharmacies in the program.
A complete list of antiviral pharmacies can be found here.
ARE THERE OTHER ANTI-VIRUS OPTIONS?
There are two other medications that can be prescribed by a doctor to help relieve the symptoms of COVID-19. The first is budesonide, an inhaled drug that, according to the COVID-19 scientific table, has the potential to reduce recovery time by a median of three days.
The other medicine is fluvoxamine, an oral pill used mainly as an antidepressant, but studies have shown that it can reduce the risk of severe symptoms and hospitalization.
“Both drugs have been found to be useful in treating COVID,” Kieran said, adding that “they are not as useful as Paxlovid.”
A fourth treatment option is Remdesivir, a medicine that must be taken intravenously at a COVID-19 clinical evaluation center or hospital once a day for three days.
DO I STILL HAVE TO GET A COVID-19 VACCINE?
Health experts say that while Paxlovid can help reduce the symptoms of COVID-19 and reduce the likelihood of hospitalization and death, it does not provide the same level of protection as multiple doses of the vaccine, especially when combined with public health measures. such as masking and physical distancing.
“What we want to do more than anything is to prevent you from having COVID in the first place,” Kieran said. “So get the vaccines they recommend. It’s so important.”
“There is a lot of noise about Paxlovid, but I think it should always be in the context that prevention is better than cure.”
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