Reducing Severe COVID-19 Outcomes with Therapeutics
Therapeutics, in addition to vaccines and boosters, play a critical role in reducing the high death rates associated with COVID.
You may be eligible for medication to treat COVID-19 if you have symptoms and a positive COVID test, and you have a risk factor for developing severe COVID. Risk factors include being 50 or older, having an underlying health condition(s) that place you at higher risk, or being unvaccinated or not up to date on vaccinations. This includes people who are pregnant, are current or former smokers, have type I or type II diabetes, are overweight, or have a history of cancer. If you have symptoms of COVID and have tested positive, check with your healthcare provider as soon as possible to review your options.
Three of the treatments are what we refer to as antiviral medications:
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Paxlovid?is for adults and children 12 years and older. This medication is taken orally, at home, and needs to be started within 5 days of symptom onset. In clinical trials it had an 88% efficacy rate in reducing hospitalization or death.
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Remdesevir?can be administered to adults and children as young as 28 days old and like all of these medications, it needs to be administered as soon as possible, within 7 days of symptom onset. This medication is delivered via IV and needs to be administered at a healthcare facility across three consecutive days. Remdesevir has shown an 87% efficacy rate in reducing the risk of hospitalization or death from COVID.
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Molnupiravir?is for adults and can be taken at home in pill form. Like the other oral medication, Paxlovid, if taken within 5 days of symptom onset it is effective at reducing the likelihood of hospitalization or death from COVID.
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Bebtelovimab?is a monoclonal antibody for COVID-19 that is available for people 12 years and older as a single IV injection. It should be administered within 7 days of symptom onset and has been shown to significantly decrease viral loads.
A healthcare provider always needs to assess a patient before these medications can be prescribed and administered. Many people qualify for, and benefit from, these therapeutics and may not realize it.
?We Vaccinated Our Children to Keep Them Safe?
"We vaccinated our children to keep them safe." -Christy and Yuna.
Christy decided to vaccinate her children because she trusted the science and knew that vaccinations have been around for a long time. Childhood vaccines and boosters are now available.
Updated ?bivalent? boosters have been approved for children five years old and older. Children can receive a booster two months after any previous booster or primary vaccination. The Pfizer bivalent booster is for children ages 5-11, and the Moderna bivalent booster is for children ages 6-17. The updated boosters provide broader protection against newer BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron variants.
Go to vaccinatelacounty.com or call 833-540-0473 between 8:00 am and 8:30 pm 7 days a week for assistance with appointments.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has developed a wide array of documents, guidance documents, and resources for the workers, businesses, partners, and the general public on a variety of topics related to COVID-19, including:
It is recommended you follow @lapublichealth on?Facebook,?Twitter?or?Instagram?the latest updates about Los Angeles County.
Always check with trusted sources for the latest accurate information about novel coronavirus:
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