Coronavirus Outbreak: Part 4

There were some voicing significant concerns about molnupiravir before it was approved. I was surprised molnupiravir was approved once Paxlovid emerged.

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The FDA has been pulling ER use of certain treatments b/c of their lack of efficacy w/ current variants. Paxlovid is one of a few that are maintaining their efficacy.

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I understand. Everyday it seems like my feed is changing and itā€™s frustrating b/c I follow a lot of artists and I dislike having to hunt for their posts.

There are enough people that legitimately canā€™t take Paxlovid.

But, my gut feel is molnupiravir has been overused when Paxlovid was a better option.

For instance, if it increases rebound, itā€™s not by much and those cases are still not ending up in the hospital. Everything I read is that it is extremely rare for anyone taking Paxlovid to end up in the hospital, and many, many hospitalized cases were eligible for it. So rebound concerns is not a legitimate reason.

There are many medications that are a potential interaction concern, but for a lot of them, the FDA has provided a work around to still allow Paxlovid to be the preferred option, but doctors are still jumping to molnupiravir instead.

This is such a mess.

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I know you at one point posted a list of medications that didnā€™t allow Paxlovid to be subscribed- now I think I can take it if I stop my medication for a period of time. I really donā€™t know how I feel about that.

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This is the current list. There is one group that another Covid treatment should be used, but the majority have various management strategies outlined.

Iā€™d ask my healthcare provider what the expected/likely/possible consequences are of the management strategy listed for yours. There is some data suggesting Paxlovid may reduce the risk of Long Covid as well, so that may tip the risk scales as well. (Unfortunately, those studies just canā€™t keep up with how fast Covid is mutating to have reliable numbers given how nebulous Long Covid still is.)

But too many are dismissing Paxlovid or jumping to molnupiravir without actually putting some thought into which is the best course. Looks like Paxlovid is about 90% effective is preventing hospitalizations, whereas molnupiravir is only about 30%:
https://www.goodrx.com/conditions/covid-19/covid-19-pill-paxlovid-molnupiravir

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Is that list for the UK? I still see my meds listed on other interactions concern (liver damage ) but I donā€™t see it here.

Itā€™s from the NIH :woman_shrugging:

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Do they usually include links to UK and Toronto resources?

I looked again and see that med I take here, it says here I have to stop my med.

Thereā€™s been a huge uptick in international collaboration due to the pandemic, I think. Trying to lean on trusted partners instead of having to invent a US specific wheel for everything. :woman_shrugging:

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ETA:


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My kids have had all the boosters and sailed through COVID. It really was a cold for them. My sonā€™s most hasnā€™t stopped running since Thanksgiving so if O hadnā€™t tested I wouldnā€™t have known.

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So my sisters family gave covid to my mom. She tested positive Friday on a home test, called her pcp and got a prescription for paxlovid Friday. She is now feeling much better.

My dad was also with my sisters family, and he and my mom have been isolated from each other since Thursday. They also have literally not left their house.

Yesterday, dad had a tickle in his throat. Today, a 99 temp. His home tests have been negative. Trying to find them a rapid pcr.

At this point, I have to assume he has covid, and would really like him to be able to get paxlovid also. The negative home test thing is an issue though.

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I hope you can get him a pcr quickly and get him started on paxlovid.

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https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-end-covid-19-emergency-declarations-may-11-2023-01-30/

https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/30/politics/may-11-end-of-covid-and-public-health-emergencies/index.html

From the latter:

The public health emergency has enabled the government to provide many Americans with Covid-19 tests, treatments and vaccines at no charge, as well as offer enhanced social safety net benefits, to help the nation cope with the pandemic and minimize its impact.

Once the emergency ends, Medicare beneficiaries generally will face out-of-pocket costs for at-home testing and all treatment. However, vaccines will continue to be covered at no cost, as will testing ordered by a health care provider.

State Medicaid programs will have to continue covering Covid-19 tests ordered by a physician and vaccines at no charge. But enrollees may face out-of-pocket costs for treatments.

Those with private insurance could face charges for lab tests, even if they are ordered by a provider. Vaccinations will continue to be free for those with private insurance who go to in-network providers, but going to an out-of-network providers could incur chargesā€¦

The uninsured had been able to access no-cost testing, treatments and vaccines through a different pandemic relief program. However, the federal funding ran out in the spring of 2022, making it more difficult for those without coverage to obtain free services.

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I canā€™t like any of this. Sigh.

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It is. My son had symptoms for a few days and was in the house being DH and me it took 5 days for him to test positive. My daughter also had cold like symptoms and never tested positive. Iā€™m sure she had it though.

Me though - first test turned positive within 30 seconds so who knows.

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Unless I missed it, Iā€™m not seeing a clear indication of whether at-home tests will continue to be covered by private insurance past May. So, stocking up until then, I guess. The most recent ones I got from CVS donā€™t expire until October.

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Thanks for the reminder. Weā€™re eligible to order some more at-home tests via our insurance tomorrow.

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Early indications Iā€™m seeing is that it will be up to individual insurers whether they continue to provide them free or not. :confused:

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