Among 1,387 non-hospitalized adult SARS-CoV-2 patients at risk for progressing to severe disease, only 33% were prescribed a SARS-CoV-2 antiviral as part of clinical care, which was substantially lower than the 84-87% prescribed standard-of-care treatment for each of three different control conditions unrelated to SARS-CoV-2.
Antiviral prescription rates were higher among patients aged 50-64 and ≥ 65 (vs. 18-49) and lower among patients who were male (vs. female), Hispanic (vs. non-Hispanic white), unvaccinated (vs. vaccinated), and seen in emergency department (ED) or laboratory-only (vs. outpatient) healthcare settings.
There is a critical need to address this large antiviral treatment gap by identifying and eliminating barriers to treating eligible high-risk patients in non-inpatient settings.