People at greatest risk of Covid death being prevented from accessing life-saving antivirals, RACGP says

Paxlovid is now available on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme for certain high-risk patients with Covid. If taken in the first five days, antivirals such as Paxlovid can can prevent Covid from developing into severe disease. Photograph: Jennifer Lorenzini/Reuters

Those most at risk of dying with Covid are being prevented from accessing potentially life-saving treatments, Australia’s peak body for GPs said.

Deaths from Covid-19 in Australia remain consistently high, with Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria reporting more than 40 Covid-19 deaths between them on Sunday. Along with the unvaccinated, people with underlying health conditions or who are immunosuppressed are overrepresented in the Covid-19 deaths data.