NEWS

Antiviral drugs to be dispatched to the islands

Antiviral drugs to be dispatched to the islands

Antiviral drugs against Covid-19 will be sent to health centers on islands with high tourist traffic and a heavy epidemiological load, including Mykonos, Milos, Ios and Patmos, in order to ensure that patients have access to them as quickly as possible, according to health authorities.

The move is part of wider initiatives by the Health Ministry to meet growing demand from patients for antiviral treatment.

Kathimerini understands that since the end of March, when the antiviral drug Paxlovid was added to the pharmaceutical quiver against Covid-19, more than 11,000 treatments have been administered, with demand from patients constantly increasing.

The Health Ministry has come to an agreement with the manufacturers to accelerate deliveries of the antivirals, ensuring that more than 10,000 treatments will be received in the next two weeks.

Pharmacies at National Health System hospitals will fill prescriptions for the antiviral drugs at specific hours throughout the summer. The relevant information will soon be posted on the websites of the National Health System.

According to the recommendations of health experts, all people belonging to vulnerable population groups, should, if they develop symptoms, immediately undergo a test, and if they are positive, seek immediate treatment for Covid-19.

The administration of antiviral treatment to vulnerable population groups has been shown to reduce the pressure on intensive care units, the indicator that determines the government’s strategy against Covid-19. 

At the moment there has been no increase in ICU admissions. On Monday, 9,360 new cases of the disease and 1,841 reinfections were reported, along with 23 patient deaths. There were 257 new hospital admissions, while 102 patients were intubated. 

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