Inyo County Health Issues Statement For COVID-19 Prevention And Treatment In Times Of Scarcity

COVID-19 Case Numbers throughout Inyo County are rising again, mirroring a recent trend seen throughout the United States. As the Omicron variant continues to spread rapidly through communities, Inyo County Health Officer Dr. James Richardson encourages residents and visitors to prioritize prevention measures: “The best way to reduce your risk of developing severe COVID-19 disease is to get vaccinated and get your booster shot. We also strongly encourage everyone to upgrade your mask to a well-fitting surgical mask, or better yet, a KN-95 or N-95 mask.”

Some promising therapeutics, including monoclonal antibody therapy and oral antiviral medications, have received emergency use authorization for treatment of COVID-19. However, these treatments and oral medications are in limited-to-no supply at this time, and Inyo County providers must prioritize these therapies for individuals at the highest risk for developing severe disease. While supplies are limited, prescriptions for therapies will be available on a first-come, first-served basis for those who meet medical criteria.

MONOCLONAL ANTIBODY THERAPY
Monoclonal antibodies are laboratory-made proteins that mimic the immune system’s ability to fight off harmful pathogens such as viruses. While not a miracle cure, studies show this medicine may be a promising COVID-19 treatment for certain high-risk individuals when taken within a specific window of time.

Sotrovimab, one particular monoclonal antibody therapy, is believed to be more effective in treating patients who have acquired the Omicron variant. Because this medication is in short supply, counties receive bi-weekly allocations from the Federal government. In Inyo County, the most recent allocation was 12 doses, and we expect that we will run out of this medication before the next allocation is received.

ORAL ANTIVIRAL MEDICATIONS
While availability across the nation is currently very limited as manufacturers begin to distribute this medication, it is expected to become available for eligible patients, by prescription, in the weeks ahead. Currently, no supply of this medication has been received locally.

Paxlovid is a take-at-home course of pills that does not prevent disease like vaccines do. Still, preliminary data shows it may reduce the risk of hospitalization and death by about 88% when the pills are started within five days of becoming sick, for patients at high risk of severe illness.

Molnupiravir is a set of take-at-home pills that does not prevent disease like vaccines do. Still, it may reduce the risk of severe illness (requiring hospitalization) and death by about 30% when the pills are started within five days of becoming sick.

If you have tested positive for COVID-19 and are at risk for developing severe symptoms due to your age or underlying health conditions, talk to your doctor about what available treatments may be right for you. Availability of these treatments is expected to steadily increase in the weeks ahead.

Several medications, including ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine, have been touted online as potential treatments for COVID-19, but these medications have not been proven effective in treating COVID-19. Providers cannot prescribe medications for the treatment of COVID-19 that have not been approved for that purpose.

For more information on COVID-19, including local case numbers, vaccine clinics, testing sites, and more, visit https://www.inyocounty.us/covid-19.

 

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Vaguely
Vaguely
1 year ago

Masks are shamanism. Apropos for a culture that insists gender is between the ears, not between the legs. For the first time in its history it appears that the human race is devolving instead of evolving.

Masked Locals
Masked Locals
1 year ago

Tinner, I believe our current federal government is hoping that when these immigrants and their children gain the right to vote they will remember who let them into this country and who tried to keep them out. If means throwing some sickly, poor and old people under the bus, well,… Read more »

Concerned
Concerned
1 year ago

Love how all these people who are doing their own “research” is really misinformation that feeds their confirmation bias. The problem is people are dying and getting seriously ill and this misinformation and non compliance with health guidelines isn’t helping. If you are going to promote “studies’ or information you… Read more »

Dan
Dan
1 year ago
Reply to  Concerned

Watch OAN. They had all the info and sources in their reporting. I’m not killing anyone. The CDC, FDA, and Fauci are the ones with blood on their hands. Follow the money. They are corrupt.

Concerned
Concerned
1 year ago
Reply to  Dan

OAN is a right wing conspiracy network that peddles propaganda. If you want credibility uses sources that come from people who actually do the research. OAN and the information you share from them is not credible and is contributing to the spread of Covid-19

Kay Kramer
Kay Kramer
1 year ago
Reply to  Dan

OAN ? You mean FOX news on steroids ? sure. totally reliable.

local4eva
local4eva
1 year ago
Reply to  Dan

Can you elaborate on “follow the money”? Follow what money where and why?

David Dennison
David Dennison
1 year ago
Reply to  Dan

Dan
Is Dr,Fauci hiding his money he’s making from this in the basement of that pizza parlor in N.Y.C. ?

Alice
Alice
1 year ago
Reply to  David Dennison

OMG don’t even joke like that. There are crazy people out there who will run with the idea!

Tinner
Tinner
1 year ago
Reply to  Concerned

Concerned, individual research is misinformation? How do you know? Where is your source of information? Where are your credentials? You ask of others what your unwilling to provide yourself? There ARE experts out there, believe it or not, who disagree with some or all of what Fauci says. If you… Read more »

Concerned
Concerned
1 year ago
Reply to  Tinner

So now you want to add Anti Semitism to your list. We get it you’re an ignorant bigot.

Tinner
Tinner
1 year ago
Reply to  Concerned

Concerned, keep it up. When you call people names like you do you do nothing but weaken legitimate cases of racism and bigoty. You are making it more difficult for the real victims of racism and bigotry to get people to not just believe them but just to take them… Read more »

Concerned
Concerned
1 year ago
Reply to  Tinner

So you have deflected used used racism and anti Semitic language but I’m the bad guy.. you have not provided any reputable evidence to support your claims and then say because you have Mexican parents you are entitled to use racist language. Your deflection and gaslighing aren’t effective either. The… Read more »

Tinner
Tinner
1 year ago
Reply to  Concerned

Concerned, when all you have left is to call people names, you’ve lost the debate. I’ve asked many question and you can’t answer a single one. You seem to be one of many on the left who can’t stand to see a Latino not voting like you think I should… Read more »

Left monster
Left monster
1 year ago
Reply to  Tinner

@Tinner – did you know, the “left” is a vast conspiracy of people who all agree entirely with everything you don’t, are without morals, values, or virtue, incapable of independent reasoning, thought or opinion, a virtual mob of zombies out to destroy everything you hold sacred, voting en bloc (often… Read more »

David Dennison
David Dennison
1 year ago
Reply to  Tinner

Tinner
The same as many did,about 70 million of them,being told how to vote, how to think,talk,and how to feel as they were being told by that “other guy” that ended up losing and out of office anyway ?

Daniel J Miller Jr
Daniel J Miller Jr
1 year ago

I didn’t see my post that One American News has information on Therapeutics. One part of India has about 200 + million residents and they have been taking Ivermectin and their death rate is near zero.

Pete
Pete
1 year ago

We are all the dumber from having read that. Even the least educated among us should question this statement.

Alice
Alice
1 year ago

Wow. Full blown delusions. Go back on medication…

Tinner
Tinner
1 year ago

One thing I cannot understand, if covid and both the delta and omicron variants are so dangerous and deadly, and I tend to believe they are to certain people, why have so many illegal immigrants been allowed to enter our country? I honestly don’t get it, it’s not in the… Read more »

Kay Kramer
Kay Kramer
1 year ago
Reply to  Tinner

Just so I don’t misunderstand, are you implying that undocumented / illegal immigrants, specifically from Mexico, are causing the rise in covid cases in the U.S. ?

David Dennison
David Dennison
1 year ago
Reply to  Kay Kramer

Kay Kramer
That is EXACTLY what “Tinner” is saying,whether he admits it or not.
It’s how he’s been TOLD to think,feel and talk (see my post below,replying to “Healthcareworker”..if my reply to them gets posted.

Tinner
Tinner
1 year ago
Reply to  David Dennison

David Dennison, I’m not sure what you’re worse at, punctuation or mind reading.
I’m here, you can talk to me, you don’t have to hide behind a girl.

Tinner
Tinner
1 year ago
Reply to  Kay Kramer

Kay Kramer, no, that’s not what I’m saying, or maybe it is. I don’t know what the cause is, Fauci doesn’t know either, nobody knows. So wouldn’t it make sense to shut down every possible avenue for covid to spread including enforcing our immigration laws and not allow anyone into… Read more »

Kay Kramer
Kay Kramer
1 year ago
Reply to  Tinner

There are plenty of people coming into the country legally that are spreading covid, bringing drugs, killing americans, raping women, and molesting children. In fact, there is a convicted pedophile living freely and openly in my neighborhood, he’s American and as white as white can be, oh, and a loud… Read more »

Tinner
Tinner
1 year ago
Reply to  Kay Kramer

Kay, true, plenty of legal immigrants and citizens who are committing crimes, but does that mean we should open our doors and accept the entire worlds diseases and criminals? Again, that’s why we need secure border. We barely have enough room in our prisons for our own criminals. Were you… Read more »

HCW
HCW
1 year ago
Reply to  Tinner

I mean…”if the shoe fits”….

Concerned
Concerned
1 year ago
Reply to  Tinner

Should we talk about the hypocrisy since everyone can already see the blatant racism. You want freedom and you break the law by refusing to wear a mask , but you want the laws enforced in other area sure other as long as they dont enforce the laws you are… Read more »

Tinner
Tinner
1 year ago
Reply to  Concerned

Please point our where I stated that the spread of covid is being spread by illegal immigrants, you simply assume because we disagree. When people use the default defense of calling me racist I know they have exhausted their argument and I have won the debate. Oh yeah, if you… Read more »

local4eva
local4eva
1 year ago
Reply to  Tinner

1. There is no logical connection between COVID and immigration. That’s just a hard right turn in logic. Here, let me try – If COIVD is deadly and cases are up, why are we considering sea bed mining off the coast of Nauru?! 2. COVID skeptics don’t seem to have… Read more »

Tinner
Tinner
1 year ago
Reply to  local4eva

loca4eva,
“there is no logical connection between COVID and immigration”?
Are you saying covid doesn’t exist on the border or with immigrants?

local4eva
local4eva
1 year ago
Reply to  Tinner

Noooooo….I’m saying that immigration is not causing the increase in COVID. COVID is. As evidenced by international border closures over the past two years.

Avid
Avid
1 year ago

What dont you people see . Do we not have our freedom of choice anymore? Seems like if they are concerned about this covid they would block off the town, close all the restaurants..

Kay Kramer
Kay Kramer
1 year ago
Reply to  Avid

What freedom of choice have you lost ? Please explain.

Tinner
Tinner
1 year ago
Reply to  Kay Kramer

Kay, how about the freedom to breathe freely and unobstructed while shopping for groceries?

Kay Kramer
Kay Kramer
1 year ago
Reply to  Tinner

no one has lost their freedom to breath freely and unobstructed while shopping for groceries

Alice
Alice
1 year ago
Reply to  Avid

You certainly have the freedom to wear a mask or not, to wear clothes or not, to litter or not, to drive as fast as you like, to drive drunk or not….on your own property. Once you are in the public domain your freedoms are limited by the rights of… Read more »

Alice
Alice
1 year ago

All good information, but on the prevention side, why isn’t more being done to endorse Public health mandates? For those who don’t understand either the tenth amendment to the Constitution or science, maybe some consequences? e.g. fines, closures…As much as I would love to shop locally, in the two businesses… Read more »

Vaguely
Vaguely
1 year ago
Reply to  Alice

Take a look at the case graph for CA on worldometers.com. Cases started spiking AFTER compulsory masking was re-imposed. Compare the CA graphs with those of other mandate states like NY and non-mandate states like Texas and Florida. These four large states have three strikingly similar previous waves and a… Read more »

Kay Kramer
Kay Kramer
1 year ago
Reply to  Vaguely

On the worldometers.com site, if you look at the actual case numbers over the past 2 week period (mandates in place for 2 weeks), Florida’s case rate has gone up by 24% during that two week period. CA by 5.5%, NY by 4.6%, TX by 3.4%.

Alice
Alice
1 year ago
Reply to  Vaguely

Oh please tell me you’ve had your tubes tied…

Healthcareworker
Healthcareworker
1 year ago
Reply to  Alice

Add Manor Market, Pino Pies, and Eastside Juice to the recent maskless workers list, I agree with you, there is nothing so amazing about their products worth getting myself or my immune compromised loved ones sick. And comments for us to stay home if we don’t want to hang out… Read more »

David Dennison
David Dennison
1 year ago

Healthcareworker With the COVID since early 2020,no doubt,the idiots came out and continue to come out of the woodwork complaining and whining about having to wear masks and how it’s “taken their freedoms away” by being told to do so. And then telling people to “stay at home” if you’re… Read more »

Alice
Alice
1 year ago

Right you are. Walked into MM today and walked right back out. They even have a sign saying masks NOT required. Time for a call to the County.

Kay Kramer
Kay Kramer
1 year ago

Add Bishop Vet to the list.

David Dennison
David Dennison
1 year ago
Reply to  Kay Kramer

Kay Kramer

AND most business’ in Lone Pine too….including restaurants crowded with out of town tourists..add em’ to the list…