If you get COVID, don’t wait to ask for antiviral drugs. Doctors say prescriptions take time
Paxlovid, the antiviral pills that have helped many Americans fend off severe COVID-19, can be hard to get, so California public health officials are advising the public to ask for the drug as early as possible.
The California Department of Public Health also has moved to make Paxlovid easier to get amid a surge of COVID-19 cases following Thanksgiving.
“Many of our hospitals across the state are reaching capacity and one of the ways we can reduce admissions is by treating individuals who have COVID-19,” California Department of Public Health Director Dr. Tomás J. Aragón. “Unlike previous years, people now have safe and effective treatment options that can prevent serious disease, reduce hospitalization, and may also lower the risk of long COVID-19 symptoms.”
Dr. Erica Pan, California’s lead epidemiologist, said officials have learned that some consumers are meeting with barriers to getting Paxlovid.
The drug is quite effective, reducing the risk of hospitalization or death by up to 50% and 88%, but it must be taken within five days of symptom onset to work.
That tight timeframe can trip up patients who think they can wait until a few days to ask their primary care physician for a prescription. That’s when they discover that their provider won’t prescribe it without a video visit and that the practice has no visits available for several days.
Scenarios like this one are why the state Public Health Department is alerting Californians that they may have to use other avenues to get COVID-19 treatments, Pan said. Here’s what department officials suggest you do if you need treatment:
1. If you are insured, check first with your doctor, then urgent care or a test-to-treat facility. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has set up a website where Americans can find the closest test-to-treat site to their ZIP code. Some pharmacies offer this service, but others will refer patients to their doctors.
2. If you don’t have insurance or can’t reach your own provider within 24 hours, the state is recommending you visit the telehealth provider Sesame’s website to arrange an appointment or call 833-686-5051 to do so.
3. If none of these options work and you need help finding treatment, call the COVID-19 hotline at 833-422-4255.
“Treatments provide the biggest benefits to people who are unvaccinated but also provide benefits to people who are vaccinated or who recovered from a prior COVID-19 infection,” Aragón said. “However, COVID-19 treatments are underutilized, particularly among communities that have been hardest hit by COVID-19. As soon as someone has new symptoms such as a runny nose, cough, sore throat or fever, they should immediately test for COVID-19 and seek treatment if they are positive.”
Most Americans will be eligible for Paxlovid or another COVID-19 treatment, public health officials said. They have been recommended for anyone 12 years old and older who has COVID-19 symptoms, has tested positive, and may be at higher risk for worse illness.
If you take Paxlovid, you will likely experience one of these common side effects: changes in taste, diarrhea, high blood pressure, or muscle pain. If you have these reactions, though, consult a doctor: nausea or vomiting that doesn’t stop, loss of appetite, stomach or abdominal pain, yellowing eyes or skin, dark urine, a rash, itching or swelling (especially of the face, tongue or throat), severe dizziness or trouble breathing.
This story was originally published December 17, 2022 at 6:23 AM.
