Newest Coronavirus Information
TUESDAY, April 26, 2022 (HealthDay Information)
Plans to almost double the variety of pharmacies and different areas that carry the antiviral capsule Paxlovid for COVID-19 had been announced Tuesday by the Biden administration.
Demand for the drug has risen in latest weeks together with coronavirus instances, however many Individuals have mentioned they cannot discover a physician to prescribe the drug, or a pharmacy that has it, once they get COVID-19, the Washington Submit reported.
The White Home mentioned it plans to extend the variety of pharmacies, hospitals, group well being clinics and pressing care facilities that carry Paxlovid from 20,000 to 40,000 within the coming weeks.
One other Biden administration transfer to extend availability of the Pfizer capsule is extra “test-to-treat” packages in pharmacies and clinics, the place individuals shall be given 5 days price of the treatment in the event that they check constructive for the coronavirus, the Submit reported.
Paxlovid was authorized by federal regulators late final yr and the Biden administration has dedicated to purchase 20 million therapy programs.
One motive that sufferers are having bother acquiring the drug is confusion and inconsistency amongst medical doctors over prescribing the drug, based on the Submit.
Paxlovid was initially approved for sufferers at excessive threat of extreme COVID-19 and was briefly provide throughout the Omicron surge.
Research have proven that Paxlovid can lower the danger of hospitalization or dying by about 90% when sufferers begin taking it inside three to 5 days of the onset of COVID-19 signs, the Submit reported.
The drug has been in excessive demand as coronavirus instances as soon as once more rise, pushed by the extremely transmissible Omicron subvariant BA.2. The seven-day common of recent COVID instances was 47,029 on Monday, up from about 38,000 one week prior, whilst many new infections go unreported as extra Individuals flip to house check kits, the Submit reported.
Extra data
Go to the U.S. Nationwide Institutes of Well being for extra on COVID antiviral treatments.
SOURCE: Washington Submit
By Robert Preidt and Robin Foster HealthDay Reporters
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