S7, Ep 4- COVID Antivirals: Are High-Risk Patients Missing the Window?
About this episode
The episode discusses the challenges high-risk patients face in accessing COVID-19 antiviral treatments and emphasizes the importance of timely care.
In this episode of Healthcare Matters, Dr. Robert Popovian is joined by new co-host Angela Degrassi for a conversation about access to oral antiviral treatments for COVID-19, especially for older adults and people living with chronic disease. Prompted by a new CDC report and supported by findings from a recent Global Healthy Living Foundation survey, the discussion explores a troubling pattern: awareness of COVID antiviral treatments may be high, but many high-risk patients still do not receive them when they test positive. Dr. Popovian explains why prescribing appears to rise when COVID is dominating headlines and then fall when public attention fades, even though patient risk has not changed. He and Angela discuss the real-world barriers that can stand in the way of timely treatment, including missed prescribing opportunities, delays in testing, out-of-pocket costs, and uncertainty about eligibility. This episode highlights a simple but important message: for high-risk patients, timely treatment should be part of the care plan, not an afterthought. It also offers practical guidance for patients and caregivers on what to do immediately after testing positive and why acting…
Topics covered
- COVID-19
- antivirals
- high-risk patients
- healthcare access
- chronic disease
- treatment barriers
Keywords
- COVID-19
- antivirals
- high-risk patients
- treatment access
- chronic conditions
- healthcare barriers
More episodes of Healthcare Matters
- S7, Ep 6- 340B Program & Hospital Charity Care: What Patients Need to Know
- S7, Ep 5- How ACIP Lawsuits are Impacting Patients: When Vaccine Guidance Becomes an Access Problem
- S7, Ep 3- 340B: Are Patients Seeing the Savings?
- S7, Ep 2- PBM Reform at an Inflection Point: What Comes Next?
- S7, Ep 1- The $29 Billion Problem: Understanding Influenza's True Economic Toll
- S6, Ep 10- TrumpRx & the Future of Drug Pricing: What Patients Need to Know
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