The way eligible people access COVID-19 treatments in the community has now changed. These treatments are available for those individuals at the highest risk of becoming seriously ill from COVID-19 and can help some people manage their symptoms as well as reduce the risk of becoming seriously ill.
The treatments include:
Ritonavir, and Molnupiravir are antiviral medicines that are administered orally. Remdesivir and Sotrovimab are administered through an infusion. Further details on the treatments can be found on the NHS website.
Who is eligible?
An Independent Advisory Group (IAG) has identified the groups of patients deemed to be at the highest risk of COVID-19.
People with the following medical conditions may be eligible for treatment:
- Any mature T-cell malignancy
- Respiratory conditions (including any asthma patient taking immunosuppressants for their asthma, COPD on long term home non-invasive ventilation, interstitial lung disease, among others)
- Additional neurological disorders, including Duchenne muscular dystrophy, dementia and neurodegenerative disorders when associated with severe frailty, Alzheimer’s disease, vascular disease, Lewy Body disease, frontotemporal atrophy, Parkinson’s disease, progressive supranuclear palsy and multiple system atrophy.
How to access Covid-19 treatments in Suffolk and north east Essex
Based upon medical records, NHS England has written to people who may be eligible for treatment and has advised they will no longer be automatically contacted by the NHS after reporting a positive COVID-19 test result.
If you are eligible for COVID-19 treatment, please:
- keep lateral flow tests at home but only use them if symptoms develop. Tests can be ordered free of charge via the gov.uk website. Tests purchased from a pharmacy or shop can also be used.
- take a test immediately if you have COVID-19 symptoms, even if their symptoms are mild. If the test is negative but you continue to have symptoms, please take another test on each of the following two days (three tests in total over three days). You should report your test result where possible via the gov.uk website or by calling 119, using your NHS number and postcode. This will ensure your test result is visible to the NHS which in turn will support referral and assessment.
Please note you will not be able to report the result of a test purchased from a pharmacy or shop but this will not affect your access to an assessment for treatment.
If you test positive, please contact the Suffolk and North East Essex Covid Management Delivery Unit (CMDU) on 01473 299612 as soon as possible so that you can assessed for treatment. More information is available via the NHS website.
Last Updated on 29 June 2023