About 1.3 million people with underlying diseases in England have been identified by the NHS as dangerous and have sent letters explaining that they will be evaluated for antiviral therapy if they become infected with Covid. The NHS reported that “tens of thousands of the most vulnerable patients” have received the drug to date, but told the Independent that it was “aware of some local problems” in which clinically vulnerable people have difficulty accessing antiviral drugs. Comes in a record period of infection levels. Patients seeking treatment, which suppresses an infection to prevent disease escalation and hospitalization, said they were withdrawn by GPs and hospital doctors, while others said they were “pushed from a column into place” in an effort. have access to the drug. An NHS director told the Independent that only 15 percent of eligible patients cared for by the Kent and Medway Clinical Commissioning Group received antiviral drugs in February. Anthony Nolan, the blood cancer charity, and Kidney Care UK said they had received reports that Covid Drug Delivery Units (CMDUs), which are responsible for ensuring that antivirals were accessible to patients, were shocked and found it difficult to provide treatment. “Weekends are a big problem and very stressful,” said Fiona Loud, policy director at Kidney Care UK. “We had reports from people in different parts of the country.” Paxlovid, molnupiravir and remdesivir are available through the NHS as oral antivirals. All three have been shown to be effective in reducing the risk of hospitalization among infected vulnerable patients. Antibody therapy is also available, given intravenously. Under current guidance, CMDUs are responsible for calling and evaluating vulnerable Covid-positive individuals. Specialists will review a patient’s condition and clinical suitability to determine if he or she should receive antiviral therapy, which will begin within five days of diagnosis. However, some patients claim that they have never been in contact, instead they turn to their general practitioners and local hospitals, who said they could not help. Many have been told to call 111, which in turn has redirected patients back to their GPs. Louise Besley said her husband Mark Drewett, who suffers from a rare autoimmune disorder called Myasthenia gravis, could not take the antiviral drugs after testing positive last Wednesday. “Everyone we spoke to agreed that he was eligible – and yet no one does,” he said. “We tried everything. We went through the local CDMU. They can only send emails and there was no one in at the weekend. “We went to A&E on Thursday night for four and a half hours because Mark’s stats fell. His breathing was bad. But there was nothing they could do. The whole thing is just nonsense. “It seems like a real luxury, depending on where you live.” The NHS director said staff knew that in the case of some eligible vulnerable patients who test positive, “nothing happens”. “We have had reports that he either does not get in touch with people and they just do not know how to access help,” they said. “We were told the CMDUs were closed that weekend, which is crazy because they miss two days of the short time these patients have to get treatment. “We have increasingly found that people who call 111 are told they can not be referred. The doctor says it’s not my job. There just seem to be a lot of problems along the way. However, some areas are doing better than others. “There may be a possible problem with the postal code.” Kidney Care UK has expressed similar concerns. “The pattern is similar – positive LFT or positive PCR, but 111 does not know exactly what to do and the GP is closed,” Loud said. “In one case reported recently, one missed the opportunity and another did not receive a transfer, so he did not receive treatment.” Alex, who suffers from polycystic kidney disease and is taking immunosuppressants, was forced to turn to his local MP for help after being “pushed from a column into position” in an attempt to get antiviral drugs. “I called 111, they referred me to a local GP node. They agreed to take them, but they did not have the power to help. “I kept referring to different professional doctors elsewhere, but no one knew exactly what to do.” After finally sending an email to Labor MP Helen Hayes, Alex received the drug four days after his initial diagnosis, but it was “clear that no one was sure of the best way to deal with this.” There must be a clear channel of communication. “ Henny Braund MBE, CEO of Anthony Nolan, said it was “extremely worrying” to hear that many CDMUs had been flooded. The NHS said all CDMUs “have arrangements for treating patients on weekends”. Many other clinically vulnerable patients who spoke to The Independent shared similar experiences of recurring delays, uncertainty, and frustration with access to antiviral drugs.
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April 2, 2022
People are protesting against the rising cost of living outside Downing Street in London Reuters
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April 1, 2022
Queues of freight and passengers waiting to check in at Dover Harbor, Kent, as some ferry services remain suspended at Dover Harbor following the departure of 800 sailors from P&O Ferries without notice PA
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March 31, 2022
A soldier of the Cavalry Cavalry Regiment falls from a horse during a practice to attend the state ceremony around this year’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations at Hyde Park in London AP
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March 30, 2022
Sheep in the snow in Shetland SWNS
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March 29, 2022
Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of York arrive in Thanksgiving for the life of the Duke of Edinburgh at Westminster Abbey in London PA
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March 28, 2022
Artists including dancers from Ukraine are rehearsing for the finale as the Blackpool Tower Circus prepares to reopen after a 1 1 million renovation £ Getty
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March 27, 2022
Players at Bolton Castle near Leiburn, North Yorkshire, watch the players bring to life the story of the Battle of Towton, which took place on March 29, 1461 in a small village near York called Towton PA
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March 26, 2022
Early morning swimmers play with a ball in the sea at Cullercoats Bay on the north east coast of England PA
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March 25, 2022
View of trucks queuing on the A20 near Dover in Kent as freight delays continue in Dover Harbor, where P&O ferries remain suspended after the company fired 800 workers last week without warning. PA
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March 24, 2022
A group of people believed to be migrants are taken to the beach after being transported to Dungeness, Kent, by the RNLI lifeboat following an incident with a small boat in the English Channel. PA
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March 23, 2022
John Shipton, the father of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, walks with his son’s partner Stella Moris as they leave Belmarsh Prison in London where Moris was to marry Julian Assange. AFP / Getty
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March 22, 2022
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March 21, 2022
People walk next to narcissus and cherry blossoms at War Memorial Park in Coventry PA
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March 20, 2022
The Spring Equinox ceremony of the Order of the Druids took place at Tower Hill Terrace in London. The Druids perform a ceremony celebrating the rise of light. Ceridwen, the mother of the earth, brings symbolic seeds that are symbolically sown around a circle. The concern of the Order of the Druids is the evolution of humanity in harmony with the universe and the teaching through open meetings, ceremonies, meditation and ritual PA
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March 19, 2022
People take part in “Stand Up to Racism” march in central London to celebrate UN Day against Racism PA
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March 18, 2022
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March 17, 2022
Britain’s Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge unveils a traditional clover sprig in the mascot of the 1st Irish Guards Battalion, the Irish wolf dog Turlough Mor known as Seamus – and drummer Adam Walsh during Opera M parade in the Aldershot, south west of London. AFP / Getty
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March 16, 2022
Lenny Boyd, 5, explores the sunflowers during a preview of Van Gogh Alive, a riveting, multi-sensory art experience that combines high-definition views of Van Gogh’s paintings with digital surround sound and Provencal scents in Festival Square. in Edinburgh PA
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March 15, 2022
Crowds in the crowd watch runners and riders in action as Brazil and rider Mark Walsh overcome the Juvenile Handicap Boodles hurdle on the first day of the Cheltenham Festival PA
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March 14, 2022
Nine-year-old Remo wears a police cap belonging to police officer Paul O’Donnell as he speaks to the media at Tulliallan Police College, Scotland Police Headquarters PA
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March 13, 2022
A driver checks the Locomotive 4555 as it rises and prepares to exit the platform at Cranmore Station on the East Somerset Railway PA
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March 12, 2022
Surfers ride the waves at Rest Bay in Porthcawl as a yellow wind warning goes on in West Wales over the weekend PA
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March 11, 2022
Members of the Royal Navy walk through Portsmouth during a parade for the freedom of the Royal Navy city PA
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March 10, 2022
A woman walks miniature poodles on the first day of the Crufts dog show at the Birmingham National Exhibition Center PA
