Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir-ritonavir) is effective in preventing hospitalization and death from COVID-19, but few people use it. an article from SteelFisher et al. (2024) surveyed 1,430 American adults to find out why. Their survey revealed that patients had a lack of knowledge of the treatment, as well as misinformation about the treatment (among those who were aware of it). Specifically:
Most respondents (85 percent) had little or no knowledge about Paxlovid, including 31 percent who had never heard of it. Even among those who were aware of the drug, many had misperceptions about its effectiveness (39 percent), adverse effects (86 percent) and timing (61 percent) that could lead to underuse. Lower awareness and misperceptions were more common among medically vulnerable and disadvantaged populations who could benefit most from access to Paxlovid, including adults not vaccinated against COVID-19, those with lower levels of education, and Black and Hispanic adults or Latinos.
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