Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to COVID-19 Response: Living with COVID-19, published on 21 February 2022, how an immunocompromised person who tests positive for covid-19 can access treatments that may help them to avoid serious illness and hospitalisation.

A range of new treatment options have been made available to non-hospitalised patients at higher risk from COVID-19 to reduce severe disease, hospitalisation and death. Patients who receive a positive test can access treatments through COVID Medicines Delivery Units (CMDUs). Treatments include the oral antivirals molnupiravir and PF-07321332+ritonavir, the antiviral infusion Remdesevir and the monoclonal antibody treatment sotrovimab.

A clinician will contact eligible patients to assess whether these treatments are appropriate. If prescribed sotrovimab or Remdesivir, the patient will be required to attend a CMDU for an infusion. If prescribed an antiviral, this could be collected or delivered to the patient’s home.

From 1 April 2022, free access to asymptomatic and symptomatic tests for the public in England will end. We will continue to make testing available for a small number of at-risk groups. Further details on eligible groups will be made available in due course.