New York City is creating the first mobile testing units in the US that will allow those who test positive for the coronavirus to immediately receive free antiviral treatment Paxlovid.
Mayor Eric Adams commented that offering immediate prescriptions to people who test positive on mobile sites will help address concerns about inequities in the distribution of antiviral treatments.
Adams announced the new program yesterday in Manhattan with Dr. Ashish Jha, White House COVID-Response Coordinator 19, noted The New York Times.
As of yesterday, Thursday, three of the city’s mobile testing units include a doctor who can prescribe antiviral medications for those who are eligible. The units are located near local pharmacies that can fill those prescriptions right away. The first three sites are in the Inwood neighborhood of Manhattan, South Ozone Park in Queens, and the East Bronx, all areas far from downtown and with many working-class residents.
The number of mobile sites that can offer the recipe will expand to more than 30 by the end of July, local officials said, adding that by the end of this summer the The city will begin offering antiviral drugs directly at those mobile units, rather than through a nearby pharmacy. City Hall already offers free home delivery of antiviral treatments.
The nationwide “Test to Treat” mobile unit program is part of NYC and federal efforts to reduce the impact of the virus and prepare for future waves of cases. Health officials want to improve access to antiviral drugs for vulnerable people who may not be aware of the treatment or may not have a primary care physician or health insurance.
“By putting life-saving medicines in the hands of New Yorkers minutes after they test positive, we are once again leading the nation in rapidly bringing accessible care to those who need it,” Mayor Adams said in a statement.
President Joe Biden announced a national “Test to Treat” effort in his State of the Union address in March. The federal program relies on hundreds of local pharmacy clinics and community health centers to prescribe antiviral treatments on the spot. No other city besides New York has used mobile testing units for that program.
Since the start of the pandemic in 2020, at the moment the state of New York has 5.7 million infections, with 70 a thousand deaths, the majority in NYC .