Chief Medical Officer, Paul Kelly, said the best way for vulnerable people to protect themselves against COVID-19 was to ensure they had a plan to receive antivirals quickly if they tested positive.
Last Saturday, my 84 year old neighbour tested positive for Covid. Her GP clinic and chemist were closed until Monday.
I contacted the Covid helpline that was very helpful. However I was unable to contact the local respiratory clinic.
I then tried the Virtual Emergency Department. Several people phoned her – all asking her the same questions. These phone calls made her anxious. By 4pm Sunday, I suggested she wait until Monday morning and get the script from her GP.
The next challenge was finding a chemist with paxlovid in stock.
With a new Covid wave on our doorstep, is it possible for GPs to give older people a script for antivirals in advance?
First published as a letter to The Age 16 November 2022
