IDAHO, USA — In the battle against coronavirus and the current omicron surge in Idaho, local experts warn people not to count on antivirals.
The federal government recently announced two antivirals are available to treat COVID-19 but getting a hold of the treatments in Idaho is proving to be tough.
The FDA authorized both antivirals to treat coronavirus in December, warning then that they'd be extremely limited.
And more than a month later supply continues to be a big problem across the U.S. and especially here in the Gem State.
Idaho has 93 Paxlovid courses available statewide Monday morning according to the Department of Health and Human Services.
The FDA granted emergency use authorization in December for anti-viral COVID treatments Paxlovid and Monupiravir. The drugs are intended to be taken within 5 days after infection to prevent hospitalization or death.
Nurse practitioner Brad Bigford owns Table Rock Mobile Medicine and prescribes these antiviral treatments up to five times a day. But not all of his qualifying patients can get the treatment.
"It happens at least once a day. In terms of a patient qualifies for it, we try to get it, then there is a barrier," Bigford said.
Because the medicine only works within five days of infection, it's necessary to have an immediate supply according to Bigford; However, HSS numbers reveal Idaho has one of the lowest rates of available Paxlovid courses in the country.
That concerns state health experts like Dr. David Pate as the Omicron variant rapidly spreads through the Gem State.
The Omicron variant has split into what epidemiologist call a sub-lineage meaning there are now two Omicron strains according to Pate. The most common in the United States is called BA. 1, while places like Europe are seeing higher rates of BA. 2. The state reported finding BA. 2 in Ada County late last week.
Numbers from Europe suggest the BA. 2 strain is likely to quickly reinfect people previously infected with BA. 1. People are getting reinfected within 4 to 6 weeks after the original infection according to Pate.
"It's disappointing. I would love it if natural immunity was permanent. Or at least much more durable. It doesn't seem to be," Pate said. "It just means people that get naturally infected, you cannot count you're gonna have protection against the next strain."
Fully vaccinated Idahoan's catch COVID at a rate of 4,511 per 100,000 according to numbers from the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare. Not fully vaccinated Idahoans catch COVID at 12,484 per 100,000.
"My biggest frustration is people are willing to take something they don't know even how works, like these [antiviral] medications or monoclonal antibodies, but they're not willing to take something they know how works like the vaccine. The vaccines are an ounce of prevention versus things like this that are an ounce of cure." Bigford said. "So they're willing to do the newer treatments, but they're not willing to do the things that are the most effective in terms of prevention."
At KTVB, we’re focusing our news coverage on the facts and not the fear around the virus. To see our full coverage, visit our coronavirus section, here: www.ktvb.com/coronavirus.
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