Utah eliminates race and gender as a factor in the treatment of monoclonal antibody COVID after “legal concerns”

Utah excludes race and gender after complaints from right-wing media personalities Factors in allocating a limited supply of monoclonal antibodies and antiviral treatments to COVID-19..

Based on clinical data showing that men and patients of color are at increased risk of hospitalization or death with COVID-19, state health officials have previously identified people subject to COVID-, which is popular but rare. Both markers were included as risk factors in making the decision. 19 treatments.

However, on Friday, the Utah Department of Health announced that it excluded race and gender in its decision because of “legal concerns.”

The move came after Fox News talk show host Tucker Carlson erroneously claimed that Utah and other state health officials were prioritizing colored races to “punish” whites2. It’s been less than a week. However, Carlson did not oppose the distribution rules that prioritize men.

Two days later, America First Legal — a conservative advocacy group founded by former White House staff Stephen Miller — Threatened to sue Utah For including race and ethnicity in the risk calculation. Like Carlson, AFL did not oppose the priorities given to men.

Now both elements have been removed from the criteria used by Utah. Calculate the patient’s “risk score” It determines if they are eligible for treatment.

“Providing additional points based on gender, as well as protected class races, raises legal concerns,” UDOH spokesman Tom Hudachko wrote in a Friday afternoon news statement. Hudachko also stated that the new data requested by UDOH showed a weaker association between hospitalization risk and gender.

But at the same time, the updated data appear to show a stronger link between the risk of serious illness and race.

Earlier this month, UDOH reported that “non-white” or Hispanic patients were 35% to 50% more likely to be hospitalized for the coronavirus. The figures updated on Friday show an increased risk of hospitalization by at least 40% for Latin patients, 50% for Asian Americans, 80% for Native Hawaiians, and 130% for Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders. rice field.

“Instead of using race or ethnicity as a factor in determining treatment eligibility, UDOH works with color communities to place medicines in places that are easily accessible to these communities and of these communities. By linking members with available treatments, we improve access to treatments, ”Hudachko wrote.

UDOH did not identify those locations. Also, previous eligibility calculation tools did not specify a law that “raises legal concerns.”

Hudachko said the change “corresponds to the very limited supply of these therapies, ensures that the risk assessment classification complies with federal law, and responds to new guidance issued by the National Institutes of Health. It is written that it will be done.

The new risk calculator also changes who is automatically eligible for treatment.

Previously, people who tested positive while living in an “apartment” environment (eg nursing homes, homeless shelters, prisons, prisons) were automatically qualified without calculating a risk score. I did. The same was true for Utahn, who was pregnant without vaccination, and Utahn for all immunodeficiencies.

Currently, most of these Utahns need to be scored under a risk calculator.

“Only the most risky immunodeficiency conditions are prioritized, without using a risk score calculator,” Hudachko said.

Some of these factors — pregnancy and certain immunodeficiency conditions — will continue to be considered. However, it is unclear how much weight they have, as UDOH has not released new scoring criteria or responded to the Salt Lake Tribune’s demands.

Meanwhile, state officials have added new groups that are automatically considered for treatment. Unvaccinated Utahns over 75 years old.

Since UDOH did not publish updated criteria for scoring risk, does the number of “points” received by a particular medical condition and age group, or the threshold for eligibility for treatment, remain the same? I don’t know.

Previously, unvaccinated patients required a score of 7.5 and vaccinated patients required a score of 10. Age is the most important criterion score, with half points added every 10 years. Certain high-risk medical conditions added one or two points, respectively. Men received one additional point and color patients received two additional points.

Utah tightened standards for monoclonal antibodies and new antivirals earlier this month as the supply of therapeutics declined.

Monoclonal antibodies, and new Pfizer antivirals, have been shown to be successful in reducing coronavirus symptoms when given immediately after infection.Have been treated Especially popular in areas with low immunization rates..

But now, the available supply of those treatments Much less than just a few weeks ago, The health authorities said. This is because only one of the three versions of the monoclonal antibody previously available is effective against the Omicron variant. There is a national shortage of treatments as highly contagious mutants infect increasingly high-risk patients.

Over the past few months, Utah has been able to order up to 1,300 treatment courses per week. Over the last few weeks, these quotas have dropped to 500-800 courses. As of Friday, there were more than 500 active cases in Utah’s nursing homes alone.

“These treatments are promising for people at the highest risk of hospitalization, but there is little supply of these treatments,” Dr. Michel Hoffman, Deputy Director of UDOH, said in a statement. “Vaccination, including booster doses, continues to be the best way to get out of the pandemic. We all have to play our part to overcome this crisis and understand our condition. not.”