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HomeCorona UpdateResearch: Few veterans used COVID-19 antivirals, antibodies

Research: Few veterans used COVID-19 antivirals, antibodies


In January and February of 2022—when the Omicron surge precipitated a excessive variety of COVID-19 infections in america—veterans with delicate to reasonable infections seen within the Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare system as outpatients underused pharmacotherapies, together with monoclonal antibodies and antivirals. Researchers reported their findings in JAMA Network Open.

On the time of the Omicron surge, the Meals and Drug Administration (FDA) had accredited for emergency use nirmatrelvir boosted with ritonavir (Paxlovid) and molnupiravir in late of December 2021 and remdesivir for outpatient use in January 2022. The medication had been geared toward stopping delicate and reasonable COVID-19 from progressing into extra extreme illness.

setting for gauging remedy use

The frequency of use of those therapies has not been well-described, so the authors of the examine used the Veterans Affairs well being care system (VA) to look at if and when the therapies had been used amongst COVID-19 constructive sufferers ages 18 and older seen in VA hospitals between Jan 1 and Feb 8, 2022.

Amongst, 111,717 VA enrollees included within the examine, the median age was 60 years, and 96,482 (86.4%) had been male. Twenty p.c had been Black, 9.6% Hispanic, and 68.0% had been White.

All of these sufferers had been eligible for pharmacotherapy in line with the FDA authorization, however solely 4,233 (3.8%) acquired any pharmacotherapy throughout the VA or via VA Group Care.

“This included 994 (0.9%) individuals who acquired sotrovimab, 1,710 (1.5%) who acquired nirmatrelvir, 921 (0.8%) who acquired molnupiravir, 608 (0.5%) who acquired remdesivir, and 107,484 (96.2%) who weren’t handled with anti–SARS-CoV-2 pharmacotherapies throughout the VA or via VA Group Care,” the authors stated.

Older, white sufferers extra prone to get remedy

A lot of components had been related to an elevated probability of utilizing one of many 4 therapies for delicate to reasonable infections, together with older age, with these aged 65 to 74 years vs 50 to 64 years with an adjusted odds ratio (aOR) of 1.66 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.52 to 1.80]—or a 66% greater odds—and people aged not less than 75 years versus 50 to 64 years with an aOR of 1.67 (95% CI, 1.53 to 1.84), representing a 67% greater uptake. Veterans dwelling in rural areas had been additionally extra prone to get remedy in comparison with city sufferers (aOR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.09 to 1.28).

Having a better variety of underlying circumstances (not less than 5 circumstances vs 1 to 2 circumstances: aOR, 2.17; 95% CI, 1.98 to 2.39) elevated therapies, as did being White.

“In contrast with White veterans, Black veterans (aOR, 0.65 [95% CI, 0.60-0.72]) had been much less prone to obtain remedy; and in contrast with non-Hispanic veterans, Hispanic veterans (aOR, 0.88 [95% CI, 0.77-0.99]) had been much less prone to obtain remedy,” the authors stated.

The examine authors did word that prescriptions for these 4 therapies did improve because the examine interval went on, with the proportion of veterans who had been handled doubling from 3.1% in January to 7.1% in February.

“These findings counsel the necessity for improved infrastructure and training to help remedy of individuals in danger for development to extreme COVID-19,” the authors concluded. “Research of the effectiveness and comparative effectiveness of outpatient COVID-19 pharmacotherapies will even be crucial to tell scientific care.”



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