High-risk COVID-19 patients now have new treatments they can take at home so they don't go to the hospital, as long as doctors get the pills to them fast enough.
Health systems in the United States are rushing same-day delivery of prescriptions. Some clinics began testing patients and treating them at the same visit, an initiative recently announced by President Joe Biden's administration.
The goal is for patients to start taking Pfizer's Paxlovid tablets or Merck's molnupiravir capsules within the first five days of symptoms. This can prevent vulnerable people from getting sicker and cluttering hospitals in the event of another increase in cases.
But the short period has presented several challenges. Some patients delay the test thinking it's just a cold. Others are unwilling or unable to try the new drugs.
With vaccines and treatments available, “we can make this much more manageable in the future if people are willing to take care of themselves,” said Dr. Bryan Jarabek, who helps lead COVID-19 treatment and vaccination efforts in the Minnesota M Health Fairview health system.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized the drugs last year. Doctors have praised pills as a breakthrough in the fight against COVID-19 in part because they are comfortable compared to other treatments that require infusions or injections.
However, patients may miss the opportunity to take them if they rule out symptoms such as headache or runny nose, and wait to see if they disappear before seeking help.
Dr. Thomas Lew of Stanford said he has cared for unvaccinated high-risk people who have waited more than a week. Some patients hospitalized with oxygen have told her that they did not give importance to her first symptoms.
“They say that everyone in the family decided it was a cold or that allergy season was coming, but it was always COVID,” he said.
People delay seeking help in many health problems, not just COVID-19, Lew said. But when it comes to the virus, the doctor believes that patients may not be aware of the limited time.
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