COVID19 Treatment!

I have been tracking the scientific and clinical literature since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. I have been particularly vigilant for safe and effective treatments for COVID-19 that are used in NON-HOSPITALIZED patients that have a heightened risk of serious problems.

There are two categories based on how these medications are administered: my mouth (oral) or intravenous (IV).  The medicines that are currently approved are not equal in their effectiveness and vary considerably in their cost.  In addition, the IV medications will require a trip (or several) to an infusion center.  The emergence of variants creates an additional problem:  some of these treatments are not effective against the most recent and dominant strain of the COVID-19 virus, which is always changing due to mutations of the virus.  As of today, here are the NIH recommended medications for non-hospitalized, high-risk ADULT patients:

Paxlovid (Ritonavir-boosted nirmatrelvir) (1 dose by mouth twice a day for 5 days)

Remdesivir (1 dose IV daily for 5 days)

Molnupiravir (1 dose my mouth every 12 hours for 5 days)

*Evushield (Tixagevimab plus cilgavimab) (1 dose of each intramuscular one time) – This IM injection is used as “Pre-exposure Prophylaxis” or “PrEP” – i.e. it is administered as a prevention measure before exposure.  Although resistance to this medicine is increasing, it is still recommended for people with underlying health problems.

As I assembled this list, I had to stop and recollect about how helpless my physician colleagues and I felt just one year ago, when we had so few options.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE?

Symptoms: mild to moderate illness (normal oxygen, not struggling to breathe)

Ages: 18 and older

Chronic Illness:  that places you at increased risk for severe COVID19 – this includes:

•         Cancer
•         Cerebrovascular disease (stroke)
•         Chronic kidney disease* (polycystic, nephritis, nephrosis)
•         COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, emphysema)
•         Diabetes mellitus, type 1 and type 2*
•         Heart conditions (such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, or cardiomyopathies)
•         Obesity (BMI ≥30 kg/m2)*
•         Pregnancy and recent pregnancy
•         Smoking, current and former

Where!

Infusions centers have been established in most states.  Go to this Website to locate one near you:

https://infusioncenter.org/infusion_resources/nica-monoclonal-antibody-therapies/

Oral medicines can be prescribed by your regular doctor or schedule an appointment on Wellivery to get an assessment to see if you are eligible

When?

You should get this treatment as soon as you can after receive a positive test for COVID19.