RENO — As Nevada's COVID-19 case rates plummet to their lowest levels since last summer, state health officials are turning more attention to therapeutic treatments for those who can't get vaccinated or are most at risk of severe illness or death.
It’s the latest step in the evolution of a nearly two-year effort to combat the virus after the omicron variant pushed caseloads to new highs in January, said Julia Peek, deputy administrator for Nevada's Division of Public and Behavioral Health. It comes as governments across the country lift restrictions and move away from emergency measures.
“The numbers have gone down, yes," Peek told reporters on Thursday. “But there are still people getting the disease.”
Peek said one of the main reasons Gov. Steve Sisolak removed the statewide mask mandate in mid-February was the growing availability and accessibility of free therapeutics. The state has approved $19 million to pay for such efforts.
“Ensuring we are able to remove barriers to therapy to reduce severe disease and death was one of the activities that had to be in place before we were comfortable making that recommendation,” Peek said.
Free therapeutics include pre-exposure medications for immunocompromised people and anti-viral treatment to reduce a virus’ ability to replicate once someone is infected. Some monoclonal antibody treatments also are available, which limit the amount of virus in someone’s body.
Those who can’t get vaccinated for medical reasons include transplant recipients and some cancer patients.
The state’s COVID-19 call center (800-401-0946) expanded its services last week to assist Nevadans with therapeutic assessments. A clinic opened in Reno to provide treatment like one in Las Vegas that opened earlier this month. In rural areas, the use of mobile units and at-home visits for treatments are expanding, she said.
The Nevada Hospital Association reported last week that hospitals around the state were reporting a “return to normalcy.”
Nevada’s positivity rate, which reached as high as 35.6% on Jan. 20, has dropped to 11.1% — the lowest since the 14-day average stood at 10.3% on Dec. 29.
The 14-day moving average for new daily cases statewide dropped to 301 last week, the lowest since 310 on June 27, 2021. They had topped 1,000 in late December for the first time since Feb. 1, 2021, and peeked at 5,619 about six weeks ago on Jan. 17.
About 56% of Nevadans age 5 and older are fully vaccinated, compared to a national average of about 65%. The rate varies throughout the state from a high of nearly 65% in Clark County to less than 25% in rural Store County.
“Therapeutics are a foundational aspect that will allow us to live with COVID-19, but it is no replacement for vaccinations,” Peek said.
Dr. Rashid Chotani, global medical director at the Las Vegas clinic, says if monoclonal antibody treatments are administered in time — typically within 10 days of infection — it will reduce COVID-19 symptoms, severity of the virus and hospitalizations.
Eligibility for treatment depends on which treatment is available. Most require a prescription. Oral anti-viral pills are available at retail pharmacies, but monoclonal antibody treatments are not.
Additional details are available at the U.S Department of Health and Human Services COVID-19 Therapeutics site and locator tool.