Introducing Wellness Wednesday with Dr. Haas:
This is a segment of our community platform where our partners can ask COVID-19 related health questions and Dr. Haas, our resident health expert (and a world-renowned Infectious Disease Doctor) answers them! Enjoy our inaugural Wellness Wednesday Write-up below!
The summary: Health strategies include 1. New COVID variants can feel like allergies early on but can be just as deadly as early strains. 2. Test early and often 3. Timing is everything so seek treatment within a few days of developing symptoms. 4. When in doubt, air it out.
Question: As community health partners, we know that COVID-19 is still a threat, although many communities have gone back to “normal.” What do you recommend we talk to our constituents about?
Dr. Haas: We should really be informing our communities about treatment. Tell your constituents about the treatments that are available and that they get you better faster and reduce complications. It may not be for everyone, so ask a doctor. If someone wants to know the criteria by which they qualify for treatment, they can talk to their health care provider, a nurse, or, if they don’t have health insurance they can reach out to our team – HEAT.
Some general qualifications for prioritization are people who have a BMI higher than 27, kidney disease, neurological disease, chronic lung disease, cancer, the immunocompromised, above 65+. These are just a few of the qualifying comorbidities. If there was almost no supply, the NIH would prioritize therapy for people above 75+ and unvaccinated. However, everyone should be encouraged to seek treatment as supplies can be unpredictable.
Question: Tell us more about the treatments available for COVID-19.
Dr. Haas: There are two types of treatments, Oral and Intravenous. The important thing to know is that timing is everything with both treatments. People seeking treatment will need to know how long it’s been since you’ve developed symptoms, and that’s the toughest part because people think “Oh it’s my allergies” and will wait to get tested. Oral treatment needs to be taken within in 5 days of symptom onset. Intravenous treatment needs to be taken within 7 days of onset.
Of course, people must consult with a healthcare provider about what medications they are on before taking any treatments. Some medications can react with the oral treatment or Paxlovid, interfering with their intended purpose. Sometime Paxlovid can drive down the efficacy of your medication or increase the level of side effects. Some notable examples of this reactions are with cholesterol medications, and anti-psychotic medications. So there needs to be shared decision making between the patient and doctor on tweaking levels of prescriptions or if the IV form is right for them.
Remdesivir is a treatment we saw earlier on, but it hasn't been offered as much. The reason being people have to come in for three days in a row. If you don’t have insurance, Remdesivir can be costly.
Finally, I want to talk about molnupiravir. You need to know as a public health professional that it isn't very effective and has a number of “can-nots.” It can't be given to be women of childbearing age and can’t be given to men who may take part in conception. It doesn't appear to be very effective, so most providers aren’t willing to prescribe it.
Question: You mentioned earlier that people sometimes dismiss COVID-19 early on, thinking it’s just allergies. How can people tell the difference?
Dr. Haas: Unfortunately, there is so much overlap between the new variants of COVID-19 and allergies in the early stages. You really need to get tested. The easy way is to keep free rapid tests on hand. Early COVID-19 variants had the signature lack of smell and taste, but that isn’t always a symptom anymore.
I also want to talk about harm reduction, because health strategies extend past vaccine, testing, and treatment. A fascinating study from China mapped out when people who share a household become infected after exposure to a housemate with COVID-19. Turns out, if you are COVID-19 positive, you are more likely to pass it on TWO DAYS before you start to show symptoms. The new variants Omicron and BA 2.12.1 spread superfast (within 3 days) which means they impact households very quickly. So, my recommendation is this: keep rapid tests on hand and don’t hesitate to use them, consider wearing masks when you start to feel low and improve the airflow in your home. If you have the means, purchase air purifiers, but a box fan directing air out the window is also a solid option.