What a saga and close to a nightmare. My presence on the register of people needing extra treatment if and when testing positive for Covid-19, very nearly fell over due to layers of files and red tape. The process started well and a Covid antivirals regional centre screening person called me same day and much later their clinician called me and took all the details of current medications and ascertained I should get the Paxlovid. The Basingstoke centre couldn’t send them to where I am… cont…

… so they said they would let me know what would happen next. 24 hours later - nothing. Called 111. Restarted the whole process. Some hours and two callers later anther clinician also ascertained I should get the Paxlovid. There is a five day window of opportunity to have a chance of avoiding being admitted to hospital. 24 hours later no drugs. Call 111 again. Same process and diagnosis but now I need to get myself to the nearest hospital to get an x-ray and be checked over. Cont …

3 … the drug delivery team finally ring whilst I’m still waiting for the X-ray. I had been feeling worse each day but I had started on anti catarrh pills and now they were kicking in so iknew I cold go back home to my Daughter’s house where I am staying. They refused to deliver the Paxlovid despite it being 5th day if there was any chance I might not be discharged. I hadn’t been admitted so I knew I could go as my blood oxygen was right back up to almost normal (97%) but … cont…

4. … but they had some rule that made them withhold delivery until day six - they say d that’s ok we count day 1 as day 0 !!! I got worse that night and the next day worse still but the delivery came and I had the worst night of my life after the first dose of Paxlovid. Mainly because of the steroids I’m on preventing my body from stopping the virus replicating willy nilly for 5 days. By the third dose I started to feel better again and got my temperature down.
That’s why I’m “paxLIVID”