Day: July 6, 2022

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Wednesday it authorized state-licensed pharmacists to prescribe Pfizer’s COVID-19 pill Paxlovid to eligible patients, in a bid to improve access to the treatment.

Use of the pill, authorized to treat newly infected, at-risk people to prevent severe illness, has jumped in recent weeks as infections rise.

“Since Paxlovid must be taken within five days after symptoms begin, authorizing state-licensed pharmacists to prescribe Paxlovid could expand access to timely treatment for some patients,” Patrizia Cavazzoni, director for the FDA’s Center for

Drug Evaluation and Research, said in a statement.

The agency said patients who have tested positive for COVID-19 should bring their health records for the pharmacists to review for kidney and liver problems.

The agency said that pharmacists should refer the patients to a health care professional licensed to prescribe drugs if there is not sufficient information to assess kidney or liver function, or if modifications are needed because of a potential drug interaction.

The patients should also provide a list of medicines they are currently taking so their pharmacist can screen for drugs that could react with Paxlovid, the FDA said.

A two-drug treatment taken for five days shortly after the onset of COVID-19 symptoms, Paxlovid cut the risk of hospitalization or death by 88% in non-hospitalized, high-risk adult patients in Pfizer’s clinical trial, which did not include vaccinated people.

It has been authorized for use and available for free in the United States since December, but fewer than half of the nearly 4 million courses distributed to pharmacies by the U.S. government so far have been administered.

According to a study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people in socially and economically disadvantaged regions are about half as likely to receive antiviral COVID-19 pills like Paxlovid as those in wealthier ZIP codes.

Source: Voice of America

Tens of millions of people were under lockdown across China on Wednesday and businesses in a major tourist city were forced to close as fresh COVID-19 clusters sparked fears of wider restrictions.

Chinese health authorities have reported more than 300 infections in the historic northern city of Xian, home to the Terracotta Army, with new clusters found in Shanghai, Beijing and elsewhere.

The outbreaks and official response have dashed hopes that China would move away from the strict virus curbs seen earlier this year, when its hardline zero-COVID policy saw tens of millions forced to stay home for weeks.

In Shanghai, some social media users reported receiving government food rations, a throwback to the monthslong confinement forced on the city’s residents earlier this year.

“I’m so nervous, the epidemic has destroyed my youth,” posted a Shanghai-based user on Weibo.

Mass testing

Officials launched a new round of mass testing in more than half of the city’s districts after a rebound in cases since the weekend.

All karaoke bars were closed Wednesday after some infections were linked to six venues.

“I think this is unnecessary, and I don’t really want to do it,” Shanghai resident Alice Chan told AFP.

She said she took part in the latest testing round over fears that her smartphone-stored health code, which is used to access public spaces, might otherwise flag her as a COVID risk.

“I think the situation won’t improve in the short term,” said another resident, who gave his name as Yao. “People now aren’t really scared of COVID anymore, they’re scared of being locked down in their homes.”

‘Temporary control’

Japanese bank Nomura has estimated that at least 114 million people were under full or partial lockdowns nationwide in China as of Monday, a sharp jump from last week’s 66.7 million.

The recent resurgences pose a fresh challenge for President Xi Jinping, who last week reaffirmed his commitment to the zero-COVID strategy despite the mounting economic cost.

In Xian, a city of 13 million that endured a monthlong lockdown last year, the population was placed under “temporary control measures” after 29 infections were found since Saturday, mostly among recycling workers.

The city government said it would close entertainment venues including pubs, internet cafes and karaoke bars starting at midnight on Wednesday.

State media showed Xian residents queuing up for tests past midnight Tuesday but said the city was not under lockdown.

Officials have blamed the outbreak on a subvariant of omicron, which is more transmissible and immune evasive.

“The positive infections are all the BA.5.2 branch of the omicron variant, and epidemiological tracing work is still in full swing,” Xian health official Ma Chaofeng said at a briefing.

Tighter vaccination requirements

In Beijing, officials said Wednesday that the BA.5.2 branch has also been detected in the capital, but stressed the outbreak remains controllable.

But the city will tighten vaccination requirements starting Monday, health official Li Ang told reporters.

Visitors to places including museums, sports centers, libraries and cinemas must be vaccinated unless exempt, Li said.

The city is also pushing to get more retirees vaccinated, saying those who visit centers for the elderly must be jabbed as soon as possible.

China’s biggest cluster is in the central province of Anhui, where more than 1,000 infections have been reported since last week.

Dozens of cases have also been recorded in Jiangsu province, neighboring Shanghai, threatening the Yangtze Delta manufacturing region.

“A resurgence of omicron is not an issue in most other countries, but it remains a predominant issue for the Chinese economy,” warned Ting Lu, chief China economist at Nomura.

Source: Voice of America