Abstract and Introduction
Introduction
In December 2021 and early 2022, four medications received emergency use authorization (EUA) by the Food and Drug Administration for outpatient treatment of mild-to-moderate COVID-19 in patients who are at high risk for progressing to severe disease; these included nirmatrelvir/ritonavir (Paxlovid) and molnupiravir (Lagevrio) (both oral antivirals), expanded use of remdesivir (Veklury; an intraveneous antiviral), and bebtelovimab (a monoclonal antibody [mAb]).* Reports have documented disparities in mAb treatment by race and ethnicity[1] and in oral antiviral treatment by zip code–level social vulnerability;[2] however, limited data are available on racial and ethnic disparities in oral antiviral treatment.† Using electronic health record (EHR) data from 692,570 COVID-19 patients aged ≥20 years who sought medical care during January–July 2022, treatment with Paxlovid, Lagevrio, Veklury, and mAbs was assessed by race and ethnicity, overall and among high-risk patient groups. During 2022, the percentage of COVID-19 patients seeking medical care who were treated with Paxlovid increased from 0.6% in January to 20.2% in April and 34.3% in July; the other three medications were used less frequently (0.7%–5.0% in July). During April–July 2022, when Paxlovid use was highest, compared with White patients, Black or African American (Black) patients were prescribed Paxlovid 35.8% less often, multiple or other race patients 24.9% less often, American Indian or Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander (AIAN/NHOPI) patients 23.1% less often, and Asian patients 19.4% less often; Hispanic patients were prescribed Paxlovid 29.9% less often than non-Hispanic patients. Racial and ethnic disparities in Paxlovid treatment were generally somewhat higher among patients at high risk for severe COVID-19, including those aged ≥50 years and those who were immunocompromised. The expansion of programs focused on equitable awareness of and access to outpatient COVID-19 treatments, as well as COVID-19 vaccination, including updated bivalent booster doses, can help protect persons most at risk for severe illness and facilitate equitable health outcomes.
This study used EHR data from 30 sites (each representing one or more health care systems) participating in PCORnet, the National Patient-Centered Clinical Research Network (PCORnet).§ The PCORnet distributed data infrastructure was queried¶ and returned aggregate demographic and clinical data for all COVID-19 patients and those treated with Paxlovid, Lagevrio, Veklury,** or mAbs†† during January–July 2022. COVID-19 patients were persons aged ≥20 years who sought medical care and had EHR documentation of a positive SARS-CoV-2 viral test result, an International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) diagnostic code for COVID-19 (U07.1 and U07.2), or treatment with an assessed COVID-19 medication.§§ Treated COVID-19 patients had EHR documentation of a Paxlovid or Lagevrio prescription or Veklury or mAb administration.¶¶ High-risk patient groups were defined based on age (50–64, 65–79, and ≥80 years) and immunocompromise (previous organ transplant, active cancer treatment, corticosteroid use, and immunosuppressive medication use).***
The percentage of COVID-19 patients treated with each medication was calculated by age group, sex (male and female), race (White, Black, Asian, AIAN/NHOPI, multiple or other race, and missing), ethnicity (Hispanic, non-Hispanic, and other or missing),††† immunocompromise, and underlying medical conditions.§§§ Disparities were assessed using absolute differences (percentage treated in the racial or ethnic minority group minus the percentage treated in the majority group [i.e., White race and non-Hispanic ethnicity, respectively]) and relative differences (absolute difference divided by the percentage treated in the majority group). Statistical differences in the percentage treated by race and ethnicity were quantified using Pearson's chi-square tests comparing patients in the minority groups with those in the majority group. Disparities in percentage treated overall and by age group were assessed during April–July 2022, when Paxlovid use was highest; disparities by immunocompromise could only be assessed during January–July 2022 because of restrictions in the PCORnet distributed data infrastructure. P-values <0.05 were considered statistically significant. This activity was reviewed by CDC and conducted consistent with applicable federal law and CDC policy.¶¶¶
During January–July 2022, a total of 692,570 COVID-19 patients aged ≥20 years were identified.**** Among these, 22.2% were aged ≥65 years, 60.5% were female, 68.2% were White, and 79.6% were non-Hispanic (Table 1). Overall, 11.7% of COVID-19 patients were treated with Paxlovid, 2.7% with mAbs, 1.0% with Lagevrio, and 0.7% with Veklury. The percentage treated with Paxlovid exceeded the overall average of 11.7% for the following patient groups: aged ≥50 years, White, non-Hispanic,†††† active cancer treatment, corticosteroid use, immunosuppressive medication use, and presence of underlying medical conditions (except chronic kidney disease, cirrhosis, congestive heart failure, and dementia). mAb treatment was more common than Paxlovid treatment among patients with a previous organ transplant.
During 2022, the percentage of COVID-19 patients treated with Paxlovid increased from 0.6% in January to 20.2% in April and 34.0% in July (Supplementary Figure, https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/121864). Treatment with other medications occurred less frequently and varied less during the study period (mAbs [monthly range = 1.2%–5.0%], Lagevrio [0.4%–2.5%], and Veklury [0.6%–0.9%]). Racial and ethnic differences in monthly Paxlovid treatment were observed (Figure).
Figure.
Monthly percentage of COVID-19 patients aged ≥20 years prescribed Paxlovid,* by race and ethnicity† — PCORnet, the National Patient-Centered Clinical Research Network, 30 U.S. sites, January–July 2022
Abbreviations: AIAN/NHOPI = American Indian or Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander; ICD-10-CM = International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification; PCORnet = PCORnet, the National Patient-Centered Clinical Research Network.
*COVID-19 patients were identified by a positive SARS-CoV-2 viral test result, an ICD-10-CM diagnostic code for COVID-19 (U07.1 and U07.2), or treatment with a COVID-19 medication (Paxlovid, Lagevrio, monoclonal antibodies, or Veklury). Patients were considered treated if they were prescribed Paxlovid.
†Race and ethnicity were assessed as separate variables because the PCORnet distributed query statistical program does not allow for assessment of combined race and ethnicity by month. Among 7,631 patients of AIAN/NHOPI race, 67% were AIAN and 33% were NHOPI. Among 38,447 patients of multiple or other race, 19% were multiple race and 81% were other race; 58% of multiple and other race patients were of Hispanic ethnicity.
During April–July 2022, Paxlovid treatment among adults aged ≥20 years was 35.8% lower among Black patients (20.5% treated) than it was among White patients (31.9% treated) (Table 2). Paxlovid treatment was 24.9%, 23.1%, and 19.4% lower among multiple or other race, AIAN/NHOPI, and Asian patients, respectively, than among White patients, and 29.9% lower among Hispanic than among non-Hispanic patients. In age-stratified analyses, the percentage of patients aged 20–49, 50–64, 65–79, and ≥80 years who were prescribed Paxlovid was 20.9%, 34.3%, 39.9%, and 30.7%, respectively. Disparities for Black, multiple or other race, and Hispanic patients were present across all age strata; the largest relative difference (44.0%) was between Black and White patients aged 65–79 years.
Racial and ethnic disparities existed for treatment with other medications, but absolute differences were small, given the low treatment percentages. Racial and ethnic minority patients were treated with mAbs and Lagevrio less often than were White and non-Hispanic patients (Supplementary Table 1, https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/121865). AIAN/NHOPI, Asian, and Hispanic patients received Veklury less often than did White and non-Hispanic patients; Black patients received Veklury more often than White patients.
During January–July 2022, racial and ethnic disparities also existed for the four immunocompromised patient groups. In general, immunocompromised Black, multiple or other race, and Hispanic patients were treated with Paxlovid and mAbs less often than were immunocompromised White and non-Hispanic patients. Treatment differences between immunocompromised White and both AIAN/NHOPI and Asian patients were small or not statistically significant (Supplementary Table 2, https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/121865).
Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. 2022;71(43):1359-1365. © 2022 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)