SniperFx

Archives

  • May 2023
  • April 2023
  • March 2023
  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • January 2022
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019

Categories

  • Analysis
  • Bonds
  • Crypto
  • Forex
  • Forex Trading
  • Ideas
  • Investing
  • News
  • Stocks
  • World
Subscribe
SniperFx
SniperFx
  • Bonds
  • Crypto
  • Forex
    • Forex Trading
  • Ideas
  • Investing
  • Stocks
  • World

Scientists push to change COVID-19 antiviral guidelines to make medication more accessible in Australia

  • admin
  • March 21, 2023

Australia’s rules on who can get affordable COVID-19 antivirals are “excessive” and should be relaxed, according to several prominent scientists.

Key points:

  • There are rules on who can get antivirals, and how much they pay
  • Research has shown they can reduce the risk of hospitalisation or death by almost 90 per cent in vaccinated people
  • For some, antivirals can cost more than $1,000

Antivirals have been shown to reduce the chance of hospitalisation or death by almost 90 per cent in vaccinated people, and are widely available in Europe and the United States.

In Australia, a person with COVID must be 70-plus, or above 50 and have two serious medical conditions to get antivirals — like Paxlovid and Molnupiravir — under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).

People 18 and over who are immunocompromised, and First Nations people over 30 with one “risk factor” are also eligible.

The guidelines for who can receive COVID antivirals are set by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC).

If you qualify, Paxlovid costs about $7 for concession card holders and around $40 for others covered by PBS.

If your GP considers you high risk, but you don’t fall within the government guidelines, the cost can run to more than $1,000. 

“The restrictions on Paxlovid use are excessive and should be changed prior to our next wave,” University of Melbourne epidemiologist Professor Nancy Baxter said.

Chris Burrell was just a few years short of qualifying for antivirals under government guidelines when he fell ill with COVID this month.

“I think all the focus has been on vaccines and they haven’t addressed antivirals,” said Mr Burrell, who runs a stockbroking firm.

Mr Burrell has come up against these guidelines before.

His 21-year-old daughter Georgia got COVID last year and got very ill, very quickly, shortly after recovering from a bad flu, and glandular fever, and her endometriosis was causing her extreme fatigue. 

Mr Burrell feared she may develop long COVID, and forked out $1,100 for Paxlovid pills.

He said the medication made a “quite dramatic” improvement in her condition.

Widespread use ‘makes no sense’

But not everybody agrees the eligibility criteria should be widened.

Infectious disease specialist and director of the Doherty Institute Professor Sharon Lewin said the current guidelines are based on scientific evidence.

“The evidence we look at is, ‘What benefit do you get from the antivirals?’ The government then weighs up the benefit, against the adverse risk and the cost,” Professor Lewin said.

“Calling for widespread use of antivirals makes no sense when you look at where you get the best benefit for use. The best use of this medicine is in people who are high risk and that’s where we need to focus our efforts.”

The federal health department said the current guidelines were recommended by PBAC and defended the access in Australia.

“Eligibility will be expanded further from 1 April 2023, but any further changes would need to be based on recommendations of the PBAC, not individual scientists,” the statement said.

“Other countries such as England, the United States and New Zealand have also made oral antivirals available to COVID infected individuals in the community who are at higher risk of developing severe disease requiring hospitalisation.

“Adjusted for population the utilisation of oral antivirals in Australia is only marginally lower than that in the US.”

Up to March 12, more than 734,170 PBS prescriptions for COVID-19 oral treatments have been dispensed.

Reducing long COVID risk

Professor Mike Toole, associate principal research fellow at the Burnet Institute wants the guidelines to change, in a bid to reduce the chance of long COVID. 

“There is increasing evidence that having a severe initial illness puts you at higher risk of developing long COVID,” he said.

“So giving antivirals to people in a broader age group may reduce the incidence of long COVID.”

Maria Boulton, president of the Australian Medical Association in Queensland, said guidelines should be reviewed. 

“I feel that it’s important to look at what other countries are doing, so that people who need the medication can get the medication,” said Dr Boulton.

“I’m a GP and we’re restricted by the eligibility criteria and if a patient doesn’t fit criteria, we are unable to prescribe it under the PBS.

“I’ve had friends who have been very, very ill with COVID and haven’t met the criteria for antivirals. I also lost an uncle to COVID, and he was very fit and healthy.”

Infectious disease researcher and director of the Burnet Institute Professor Brendan Crabb said at 56, and with no underlying conditions, he would pay the $1,000 if he could get a script. 

“I realise that makes me very privileged,” he added.

Since the pandemic began, more than 15,000 people have died from COVID in Australia.

Last week, more than 22,000 cases were recorded nationally. Of those, more than 1,300 people were in hospital who had tested positive to COVID.

admin

Previous Article

Worthington renovations for ‘premier’ park to be financed by bonds

  • admin
  • March 21, 2023
View Post
Next Article

Coinbase Objects SEC Core Staking Is Software Service, Not Security

  • admin
  • March 21, 2023
View Post
You May Also Like
View Post
  • News

COVID-19 tracker Tokyo reports 1,357 new cases

  • admin
  • April 5, 2023
View Post
  • News

About 4 million Queenslanders contracted COVID-19 at least once in 2022, Chief Health Officer says

  • admin
  • April 4, 2023
View Post
  • News

Long COVID exercise trials proposed by NIH raise alarm

  • admin
  • April 1, 2023
View Post
  • News

300 Covid Cases In 24 Hours In Delhi For The First Time Since September

  • admin
  • March 30, 2023
View Post
  • News

Game-Changer Nasal Spray A Universal Shield Against All COVID-19 Variants

  • admin
  • March 29, 2023
View Post
  • News

Trans-Atlantic container rates still double pre-COVID levels

  • admin
  • March 28, 2023
View Post
  • News

Shanghai expat exodus shows ‘zero-COVID’s’ enduring scars

  • admin
  • March 27, 2023
View Post
  • News

LA County Health Officials Say COVID Rules Remain in Effect at California Worksites

  • admin
  • March 26, 2023

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Categories
  • Analysis (33)
  • Bonds (70)
  • Crypto (90)
  • Forex (106)
  • Forex Trading (64)
  • Ideas (57)
  • Investing (61)
  • News (121)
  • Stocks (113)
  • World (200)
Recent Posts
  • ISS backs Toyota shareholder proposal on climate disclosure
  • Gold Prices at Risk of Deeper Correction on Surging Real Yields, USD Strength
  • US Dollar Weekly Outlook Will US Debt Ceiling Deal and Jobs Report Boost DXY Further
  • BTC’s Network Activity Has Started Recovering From Its May Lows
  • USDCHF double three Elliott Wave advance and next blue box area
SniperFx
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
Forex & Crypto Updates

Input your search keywords and press Enter.