New COVID testing, treatment site opens at College of San Mateo
SAN MATEO (KPIX 5) -- A COVID-19 drive-thru 'test-to-treat' site is now open at the College of San Mateo. People who test positive for COVID-19 there may be eligible to take home a prescription for antiviral drugs, such as Paxlovid.
"This is the first one in the Bay Area," said Dr. Curtis Chan, the Deputy Health Officer for San Mateo County. "It's important now because we're seeing the increase and rise in cases throughout the Bay Area."
The 'test-to-treat' concept is fairly new. The federal government rolled out the program in March. There are currently 25 pharmacies and clinics that offer 'test-to-treat' services within a 50-mile radius of San Francisco.
"The people who are eligible for this medication are people who are high risk for progressing to severe disease. Those are people who are older, particularly those who are over 50 - the risk increases with age - or, if you have a medical condition," Chan said. "The antiviral Paxlovid is very effective. 90% effective at preventing hospitalizations and deaths if given within the first five days of developing symptoms."
Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease expert at UCSF, says a robust 'test-to-treat' program that helps improve access to antiviral drugs such as Paxlovid will be a major help in keeping COVID-19 at bay.
"Paxlovid is a big boon to the way we can respond to COVID as a community, without shutting schools or society down," Chin-Hong said. "The more that all people can have access to it in an easy fashion, the better it is. Not just for the people getting sick, the better it is for all of us because these people are going to be less likely to transmit it to other folks."
There were 100 courses of Paxlovid on hand at the CSM site on Thursday.
"The state is planning to have 'test-to-treat' sites throughout California within the next two weeks," Chan said. "There are 4 starting today, but we expect a lot more to be opening throughout the Bay Area and the State."
The CSM site is open from Sunday to Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. You can make an appointment at https://www.smcgov.org/testing.