Pandemic Task Force discusses emergency use treatment for COVID
At the March monthly Pine Island Pandemic Task Force meeting, Dr. James Koopman said it is important to let islanders know that early COVID treatment is now available to those considered high-risk, by their physician.
Koopman said it is still unclear whether these new treatments came about due to the new, highly contagious variants of the Omicron variant.
“The Omicron has these two major variants — VA1 and VA2 — there are a lot of little variants. It’s not clear if the surge that’s happening in some of the European countries is due to the VA2 being more highly transmissible,” he said.
There is clear evidence, he said, of the Omicron VA2 variant being more transmissible than the VA1. Having had one of the two variants should provide, at least, temporary immunity from the other variant, however, this immunity cannot be counted on to last very long.
There are two COVID medications being developed, Koopman said, however, the more widely used is Paxlovid, produced by Pfizer, which, he said, is an anti-protease. This medication is authorized for emergency use in patients, who are considered high risk, by their physician. It kills the COVID virus if given within the first five days of the onset of symptoms, Koopman said.
“It is something that -the earlier you get it, the better off you are,” Koopman said.
According to Task Force member Martha Huard, Paxlovid is becoming more widely available and those determined to be at high risk, who test positive for COVID, should contact their physician, or Urgent Care, immediately, to seek treatment. Those at high risk may include the elderly as well as persons who are immune suppressed, from chemo-therapy treatments or other conditions.
“We want to be clear that this (Paxlovid) is a new treatment and works only if it’s given early in the infectious period, after symptom onset, so there is a reason to act quickly,” Koopman said.
“It’s so great that this new anti-viral is available. It’s just one more thing that’s going to keep our island safe,” Helen Fox said.
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