Shortage of COVID drugs as virus levels fluctuate
(CNS): Patients suffering the ill effects of COVID-19 in Cayman are struggling to access antiviral drugs such as Paxlovid and Molnupiravir since the Health Services Authority and the major private hospitals appear to have already used up their supplies. Although the trend in the spread of the coronavirus here in the Cayman Islands is in decline, the numbers continue to fluctuate. There were still 109 new cases on Tuesday and more than 1,000 active cases, with six people in hospital.
Antiviral drugs need to be given to people at risk early to prevent them from getting very ill. The HSA told CNS, “Physicians do give advice to patients about Paxlovid and prescribe the drug for patients 12 and older with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 symptoms and underlying health issues. Treatments are recommended on a case by case basis with symptoms and medical history considered.”
But there does now seem to be a concern about supply. While HSA officials said that these drugs are a key tool in the fight against the virus alongside vaccination, they only received 80 courses of Paxlovid from the UK in January. Only 20 courses were left last week and the HSA now appears to have run out.
Doctors Hospital said they are expecting new Paxlovid supplies soon and Health City said they should have more courses in about ten days. However, Total Health said it still has a stock of Molnupiravir.
Over the last two weeks, CNS received several reports of patients who had been infected with SARS-COV-2 and were candidates for these drugs but were not able to access them.
While Cayman’s death toll from the virus has been largely confined to the unvaccinated, elderly vaccinated individuals and those with comorbidities can still become very ill. These drugs provide doctors with another weapon in their treatment arsenal for individuals at risk, given that there is still so much to learn about COVID-19 and the diverse ways it has affected patients.
According to the latest Public Health round-up, the key indicators relating to the pandemic continue to decrease in the Cayman Islands but there has also been a decline in the number of tests conducted. The number of new cases reported last week decreased by 23% from 566 to 437 cases and the test positivity rate has remained stable at 25%.
“There continue to be encouraging signals of decline in the current wave of infection,” officials said. “However the level of testing will need to remain sufficient in the coming weeks to confirm this.”
See the latest Public Health update in the CNS Library.
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Category: Health, Medical Health
times when for every ailment, no matter how “small” it is, there is a “scientifically proven” pill might come to an end at the blink of an eye, taking into account the state of the world’s affairs.
So ask to your grandma and write it down how most maladies were treated 70-100 years ago. Some might still remember.
I only doubt that in Cayman one can find a single blade of grass not contaminated by all kind of toxic substances. As an example, I buy honey directly from New Zealand, for ALL “US made” honey is contaminated with glyphosate.
COVID is a virus, and there are NUMEROUS antiviral remedies designed by nature. There are remedies that has been used for ages and cost pennies. We would not be here today if folk medicine didn’t work.
CMR posted a pic on Facebook of 12 people wearing quarantine bracelets dining at a north side restaurant.
This is a prime example of how entitled tourists, complicit restaurants and tourism officials are the ones keeping the pandemic going here.
Covid will never be over as long as entitlement, selfishness and greed is acceptable as normal.
Covid will never be over, and Facebook may not be the most reliable news source …just sayin.
So, we have a massive budget surplus, but can’t afford to buy more antiviral treatment for the vulnerable, but we can afford to employ hundreds of people at Travel Cayman to impose purposeless restrictions on travel, supposedly to protect the vulnerable (even though we let in cruise ship tourists by the bushel with no restrictions whatsoever. .
There’s more to what an eye can see.
“…can’t afford to buy more …”. Has it crossed your mind may be it is not about affording to buy, but supply issue? Manufacturing and transportation issue? Global financial crisis?
1 in 6 Germans is skipping meals to save money, according to Institute For New Social Answers survey published last Friday; in the UK people advised to use bikes and airing dirty clothes instead of washing…
May be you should start relying on yourself more? You can’t manufacture an antiviral medicine, but may be there is some easily obtainable and cheap substitutions you once called “snake oil”?
Cayman is always behind, why are we still wearing masks in the supermarkets, and why do we still have pre arrival lft tests when every other country has ditched these pointless rules now we all have 3rd or 4th booster jabs? No one vaccinated is going to die after getting Covid in fosters if there is anyone left to still catch it who hasn’t before, so why are we the only place left with these old rules?
Thank you, Doctor.
Instead of worrying about covid drugs, they should be worrying about getting the booster rate up. It’s abysmal when compared to the UK and even lower than the U.S.
The ‘booster level’ matters far less, at this point, than the treatments for those who contract Covid. I know of two people fully boosted that have contracted Covid twice in the last two months. Each isolated and reported each time. I think it is getting old for them.
AND I’ve been booster and have NEVER had Covid
SO all the thumbs down wish this person to have Covid? SMH!
Straw man argument. Google it.
@6:52. I am unvaccinated and never caught covid. Perhaps if you were not vaccinated you still would not have caught it. So your reply is irrelevant. There are people who have taken the second booster and still got it.
Surprise surprise. Cayman is behind on everything. Long term Covid..what is being done about that? Nothing. They pretend it doesn’t exist. We need to be proactive and not just depend on the vaccine. People that are immunocompromised are still at risk. Change out the air conditioning systems in public buildings especially our schools. Education needs to stop patting themselves on the back for giving out laptops. There is a lot more to do than that.
What should they “do” about long term covid?
Oh wait, I’ve got it. There should be stipend for Caymanian long-term covid sufferers. $1,000 a month sound ok?
Let’s pretend Long Covid guy doesn’t exist.
Vulnerable people in the UK (who pay income tax to fund the NHS) haven’t been able to access these drugs without a struggle, why can’t you get your own?
“treatments are recommended on a case by case basis with symptoms and medical history considered.”
You mean they aren’t coercing everyone to get these treatments or face extreme sanctions? Why not?
End all restrictions. The US is just like the UK.
Take care of yourselves and move on.
We need to shake up our begging department.
This makes no sense at all if the vaccine is supposed to be safe and effective. Can someone explain?
@6:49pm..What if I am not vaccinated? Shouldn’t I get the drugs? It’s not just for the vaccinated..
It should be only for the vaccinated.
Don’t be ridiculous
Except Paxlovid was never tested on the vaccinated and the infamous Paxlovid covid rebound is very real. In real world studies both Paxlovid and Molnupiravir fail miserably among the vaccinated. But Paxlovid works well if you never took the jab.
Vaccinated are better off with the cheap as chips Favipiravir. Chance that Cayman doctors realize that is minimal. And then Uncle Sam wouldn’t be getting his cut so nobody cares.
One of these days you will regret those words.
Choices, you made them, live or die with them
Limited supplies should mean only the vaccinated get them if they need them.
Should only be for the vaccinated in my opinion
Sure. The vaccine is not a magical force field but it gives the natural immune system you have a crucial heads up so if you’re exposed to the virus, your immune system has been readied and can start fighting back faster. However, COVID is still a new and nasty disease that affects multiple organs and if you already have existing conditions, are immune compromised, pregnant, elderly or unlucky, your vaccine-readied immune system may still struggle.
So, anti viral drugs which stop the virus taking hold in the early days of infection are very helpful.
Hope that helps.
You are way to kind and patient to respond to someone at this stage in the pandemic so stupid not to know the answer.
Comirnaty teaches immune systems to recognise spike proteins from original 2019 strain, for targeting and elimination. We’re now in Q2 2022, with antibody levels significantly lowered, even among vaccinated and/or naturally recovered, and there’s a significantly mutated version of the virus circulating which has new adaptations which are more evasive. There is a new vaccine as well.
What do you need an explanation of?
The Miriam-Webster definition of Vaccine: “a preparation that is administered – as by injection – to stimulate the body’s immune response against a specific infectious agent or disease.”
The Cayman Islands health services are reporting no major health issues that are attributed to the Pfizer vax.
What exactly do you not understand? Seems pretty simple.
Billions served.
Just because they are not reporting side effects from the vax, doesn’t mean they don’t exist. I ended up in hospital after my first vax shot. The ambulance drivers that took me there told me that I was not the first.
Sureeeeee.
Unbelievable that you won’t believe something that actually happened because you don’t want to.
We believe you and know others and hear the stories. Damaged by the procedure and no one believes you. Doctors? Anyone? We hear that too. This is a wake up call for all people.
Are you a hypochondriac? Asking for a friend.