New COVID-19 initiative could help at-risk Americans get antivirals faster

If you test positive for COVID-19, and you are at higher risk of getting severely ill, there could soon be a faster way to get the antivirals you need to stay out of the hospital.

Dr. Cameron Webb, a senior advisor to the White House Coronavirus Response Team, says the new "one-stop test to treat" initiative could help get antivirals into the hands of those who need them  more quickly.

"The idea has always been to try to minimize the lag time," Dr. Webb says.  "So, for the antivirals in particular, there is really a 5-day window from when you first have symptoms to when you have to begin those treatments."

But finding antivirals like Pfizer's Paxlovid has been challenging.

"More than anything, we hear that there aren't enough of these treatments out there," Webb says.

The goal of the "test-to-treat" initiative is to provide easier, and faster access to antivirals like Pfizer's Paxlovid, which is about 90% effective at preventing hospitalization and deaths in high-risk individuals, if it's taken early in an infection.

Because antivirals are prescription-only, test to treat sites will need to have a healthcare provider onsite.

So, Dr. Webb says, the one-stop sites will include pharmacy-based clinics, community health centers, long-term care facility and some VA Medical facilities.

Federal health officials hope to have about 100 sites offering free testing and antivirals by the end of March and plan to expand the program from there.

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But, how would it work?

"The idea is that you go into a pharmacy, or you go into a clinic, and you're able to get testing," Dr. Webb says. "And, if you have COVID-19 and are somebody who meets the criteria to benefit from these oral antivirals or these therapies, then you have the opportunity to get these therapies, and that can significantly reduce the likelihood of severe disease.  So, like I said, it's co-locating that process, rather than sending people from one place to the next."

Producing the antivirals involves a complicated manufacturing process that takes several months. 

But the White House, says Pfizer will deliver 1 million courses of Paxlovid this month, and another two million in April.

"So, people have been saying, 'Where can I go to find it, where can I access it? I really want to benefit," Webb says. "And, even though cases are down right now, and hospitalizations and deaths are down, we just want to stay prepared for when and if we see cases, so that people know where to go to get access to these lifesaving therapies."

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