COVID-19 Drug Eligibility Simplified for Elderly 明起65歲以上快篩陽 可領輝瑞口服藥

Procedures for senior citizens to get COVID-19 drugs have been simplified. Starting May 18, people aged 65 or above who test positive in a rapid test will be eligible for the oral antiviral Paxlovid.

Many people wait in a line with their NHI cards and numbers in hand to see a doctor. This is Far Eastern Memorial Hospital in New Taipei City. Those who test positive in a PCR test at a community testing site, hospital, or hospital's disease prevention emergency outpatient service are shuttled here to get an evaluation and treatment. If the patient is aged 65 or above, they get priority in seeing a doctor either in person or virtually so that they can get medication as quickly as possible if needed.

Peng Yu-sen, Vice Superintendent, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital: “We automatically send a message to patients with a positive PCR test result to ask if they want to take medication. Our current targets are senior citizens aged 65 or above, so we're giving service priority to this high-risk group.”

The Central Epidemic Command Center has simplified the procedures for senior citizens to get COVID-19 drugs in an effort to prevent infection from causing moderate and severe symptoms. Starting May 18, people aged 65 or above who test positive in a rapid test will be eligible for Pfizer's oral antiviral drug Paxlovid once the result is confirmed and reported by a doctor and a consensus is reached between the patient and doctor. International studies show the hospitalization and mortality rates of people who take molnupiravir or Paxlovid within five days of onset are 31 percent and 88 percent less, respectively. 

Meanwhile, under the 0+7 policy that took effect on May 17, those who live with a confirmed case and have received three vaccine doses and test negative in a rapid test will not have to quarantine and will only have to undergo seven days of "self-initiated epidemic prevention." They should take a rapid test every two days, and will be allowed to go out after a negative result. However, there are concerns that rapid tests aren't 100 percent reliable.

Huang Li-min, Honorary Chair, Infectious Diseases Society: “There's not much difference between seven days of restrictions and seven days of being extra careful. I think that as long as everyone continues following their current disease prevention habits, going from 3+4 to 0+7 will only increase the risk by a limited amount. ”

The risk of infecting people you live with is quite high, so people are reminded to be extra careful during the three-day incubation period and the remaining four days. They should wear masks to reduce the risk of infection.

大批民眾在檢疫急門診的通道排隊等候，拿著健保卡及號碼單，準備進行診療，這裡是新北市的亞東醫院，只要在社區篩檢站、醫院或醫院防疫急門診篩檢的民眾，PCR確認為陽性，就啟動確診病患評估分流作業，若為65歲以上民眾，還可優先看診或視訊看診，提早評估是否給藥。

亞東醫院副院長彭渝森解釋：「(PCR)陽性之後，我們自動發出簡訊，會發出簡訊詢問病人使用藥物的意願，我們目前的(用藥)目標族群，是設定在65歲以上的老人家，所以我們權衡之下，以這些最高危險群老人家，作為我們優先服務對象。」

為降低高齡長者染疫後中重症風險，指揮中心宣布，自5月18日起，65歲以上長者比照居格、居檢及自主防疫3類對象，快篩陽性，經醫師確認研判、達成醫病共識後，由醫師通報確診，便可評估投以輝瑞口服藥治療。因為根據國際已發表的隨機對照試驗，發病5天內的染疫民眾，服用莫納皮拉韋後，住院或死亡率下降31%，使用Paxlovid者則下降88%。

0+7也在17日正式上路，確診者家人打滿3劑疫苗可以免隔離出門，進行7天自主防疫，兩日內快篩陰可以出門，但外界仍擔憂，會不會造成更多帶病毒的人趴趴走。

台灣感染症醫學會名譽理事長黃立民表示：「一樣還是7天的限制，跟7天要特別留意，我想，只要大家繼續維持目前的防疫習慣，從3+4改成0+7，即使增加風險，也是有限。」

醫師強調，同住家人的感染機率滿高的，提醒民眾除了前3天的潛伏期要注意，後4天仍要小心，且防疫上較鬆，本來就會增加感染機率，因此口罩還是要戴好戴滿，才能降低感染風險。