Paxlovid is an antiviral treatment that has been proven to be 88% effective in keeping extremely clinically vulnerable patients out of hospital. Antiviral and Antibody treatments (nMAB) have been available in hospitals since October 2021 but in December, two treatments were provided in the community for the first time through referral from DHU-run clinics at Ashgate Manor in Chesterfield and Derby Urgent Treatment Centre.
The tablet is one of two further ground breaking treatments now available, to keep those most likely to suffer serious illness out of hospital. Paxlovid stops the virus multiplying and should therefore help the body overcome the infection.
Reducing hospitalisations
Kirsty Osborn is Deputy Director for Urgent Care at DHU Healthcare, she said: “Early indications are extremely positive. Recent figures show that out of the first 120 patients in Derbyshire given nMAB treatment; none of them have gone on to need hospital treatment for COVID during the monitoring period. In each case they were categorised as priorities for this treatment due to their conditions and the likelihood of serious complications developing, so this statistic is encouraging.
“The way it works is that a member of our Urgent and Emergency Care Team will contact the patient after they return a positive test. We assess them to see if they meet that criteria and discuss the possibility of them being offered a treatment to enable them to make an informed choice. Now that we have four different treatments we can offer, it makes it easier for us to find a match for the patient.
“It’s not just about the effectiveness of the treatment, it’s about how it interacts with a patient’s medication, when they tested positive and what condition the patient has. Some may start with mild symptoms but without antibodies, their condition is much more likely to worsen and may result in a hospital admission. These treatments may prevent that from happening, resulting in a faster recovery and less pressure on our health system.
“Living with the virus”
“When we talk about ways of living with the virus this, combined with vaccination and booster programmes, is what will eventually enable us to do that”
Kirsty Roberts from Alvaston has Psoriatic Arthritis and was shielding throughout the various lockdowns. Her treatment is an immunosuppressant so she runs the risk of becoming seriously ill. Following her referral to DHU Healthcare, she was assessed by Kirsty Osborn and prescribed Paxlovid after it was determined that it was compatible with her current treatment and Kirsty was identified as a priority patient.
Kirsty Roberts said: “I was very careful even before Covid as the treatment for my condition leaves me susceptible to any virus, even a cold can make me seriously ill. I have six children so I’m very cautious and want to stay as healthy as I can for them, so shielding didn’t really make a big difference to me.
“But when Covid-19 did come along, it frightened me. I knew that it could cause me some serious harm and I didn’t want to end up in hospital so when I tested positive, it scared me. I have been in hospital but they told me about this treatment and as a priority patient due to my condition, this antiviral tablet could help my body deal with the symptoms.
Kirsty’s treatment involves taking six tablets per day for five days. It’s a twice a day dose which means she will need to take two 150 milligram tablets and one 100 milligram tablet in the morning and later in the day for the full course to give her body the best chance of fighting off the virus.
“I spoke to Kirsty at DHU who explained that the oral version was potentially more effective,” she explained, “and I could take it at home which reduced the risk of me passing it into anyone else. It’s a real comfort for me to know that there is something out there that can help me and keep me out of hospital.
“For someone like me, this is frightening”
“Kirsty was great with me, and I must thank 111 as well who pointed me in the right direction when I rang about my symptoms, because as you can imagine, for someone like me this is frightening. I’m relatively young and I have a family to think about so anything like this that will help me, and others like me, to fight the virus is a big step forwards.”
Kirsty Osborn added, “For those who do become infected and are vulnerable, these treatments will help reduce symptoms, speed up recovery times and could mean fewer people are admitted to hospital. As the talk nationally is about loosening restrictions further, developing more treatments like this and making it available to those who need it the most is an important step along that road.
“At DHU Healthcare, we’re proud once again to be working alongside Derby and Derbyshire CCG, and other key system partners in playing a vital role in protecting the public and ensuring that we’re doing our bit to help protect all resources within the NHS and the wider health community. By doing what we can to prevent serious illness, we reduce hospital admissions and help to alleviate the pressure on our NHS services at a critical time.”