There are four treatments available for the new coronavirus, but the most affordable and flexible is Paxlovid, a drug that can now be prescribed to some patients at risk by a doctor.
“It’s great to have that choice,” Dr. Tara Kieran, family physician and President of Improvement and Innovation at the University of Toronto, told CTV News Toronto this week.
“I think the last two weeks, when I had people who had COVID-19, I referred them to our local COVID Assessment Center and now we have all the materials and procedures in place on ours to feel comfortable that I can do this with safe way for the right people “.
WHAT IS THIS TREATMENT?
Paxlovid is an oral medication that should be taken within five days of the onset of symptoms. Those taking the drug should take three pills, twice a day, for five consecutive days.
Kiran said Paxlovid was originally studied in “unvaccinated patients in the Delta era”, but there has been some research suggesting that it is also effective with the Omicron variant.
“Scientists have said that if people are at high risk of developing a serious illness, then this is a drug where the benefits are likely to outweigh the risks and should be considered,” Kiran said. “And they have made it clear based on age and chronic conditions and the number of vaccination doses you have, whether you would consider it high risk or not.”
WHO CAN GET IT?
Treatment is recommended for people who are at greater risk of serious symptoms or illness and not for the general public.
Earlier this week the province published a list of groups now eligible for both antiviral therapy and PCR testing:
• People aged 18 and over who are immunosuppressed
• People aged 70 and over
• People 60 years of age and older with less than three doses of the vaccine
• People aged 18 and over with less than three vaccine doses and at least one risk condition (for example, chronic disease, heart disease, obesity, diabetes, etc.)
People with COVID-19 symptoms can also do an online evaluation on the county website to determine if they should seek treatment.
The county also said that a health care provider may prescribe Paxlovid to individuals outside these groups based on individual circumstances.
WILL MY DOCTOR USE IT?
Eligible individuals are encouraged to contact their GP to discuss whether this antiviral treatment is appropriate for them before they may catch the virus.
Kiran said eligible people should come prepared with a list of the medications they are currently taking.
“(Paxlovid) has some potentially very serious drug interactions,” he said. “And so we have to be careful about the weighting of the risks and the benefits.”
Before asking a doctor to prescribe medication, patients should also confirm that they do have COVID-19 by having either a rapid antigen test or going to a clinical evaluation center for PCR testing.
However, Kiran urged people with COVID-19 symptoms who tested negative for a rapid PCR test to be more accurate.
WHERE CAN I TAKE DRUGS?
Paxlovid can be obtained at a clinical evaluation center or at one of more than 2,000 pharmacies across Ontario with a prescription. The provincial government says it expects additional pharmacies to participate in the program.
A complete list of pharmacies that provide antiviral therapy can be found here.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER GOODBYE OPTIONS AVAILABLE?
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 Advisory Board was able to reduce the recovery time by an average of three days.
The other drug is fluvoxamine, an oral pill used primarily as an antidepressant, but studies show it could reduce the risk of serious symptoms and hospitalization.
“Both of these drugs have been found to be useful in treating COVID,” Kiran said, adding that “they are not as useful as Paxlovid.”
A fourth treatment option is Remdesivir, a drug that should be taken intravenously at a COVID-19 clinical evaluation center or hospital once a day for three days.
SHOULD I STILL HAVE A COVID-19 VACCINE?
Health experts say that while Paxlovid may help reduce the symptoms of COVID-19 and reduce the chance of hospitalization and death, it does not provide the same level of protection with multiple doses of a vaccine, especially when combined with public health measures. such as coverage and physical distance.
“What we want to do more than anything else is prevent you from having COVID from the beginning,” Kiran said. “So get the vaccines that are recommended for you. This is so important.”
“There is a lot of noise about Paxlovid, but I think it should always be in the context of like, prevention is better than cure.”