Some COVID-19 cell phone verification centers in New York City will offer antiviral treatments, Paxlovid adds, to those who test positive in the first national “Test to Treat” program.
The initiative, presented on Thursday, will be implemented in 3 mobile controls with the aim of expanding to 30 in the city until the end of July. Each participating center will have a doctor who can prescribe antivirals to eligible New Yorkers loose for free, according to the mayor’s office.
Mayor Eric Adams announced the program along with other city fitness officials and White House COVID-19 reaction coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha.
Adams said that while the city is the country’s first COVID-19 epicenter, it is now figuring out how to combat a long-term outbreak of infections.
“By putting life-saving drugs in the hands of New Yorkers’ minutes after they test positive, we are once again guiding the country to temporarily provide available care to those who want it,” Adams said. save lives today and prepare us for the long-term waves of this pandemic, keeping more New Yorkers healthy. “
The town partnered with local pharmacies to make sure New Yorkers pick up prescription antivirals through control sites. In the coming months, the people expect control sites to have Paxlovid, Pfizer’s tablet legal through the Food and Drug Administration for early treatment.
Jha insists on the importance of having access to available remedies as the world continues to fight this pandemic.
“We know covid is not over and we want to make sure life-saving remedies like Paxlovid are successful in our hardest-hit communities,” Jha said.
This comes as Dr. Anthony Fauci said at a summit tuesday that he experienced a COVID “rebound” after testing positive four days after completing a five-day Paxlovid course.
Fauci isn’t the only one experiencing a resurgence of symptoms after taking the drug. The Centers for Disease Control issued a notice in May warning patients that this can happen, informing those experiencing COVID rebound isolation for at least five more days.
Fauci, who is lately following his current drug course, defended paxlovid’s effectiveness despite its COVID “rebound. “
He told the New York Times he believed the remedy helped lessen his threat of hospitalization and relieve his early symptoms.
“Paxlovid did what he intended to do,” Fauci said.