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Thank you to all LHDs for the timely completion of the Capability Assessment. The results from the 2019 survey and the 2023 survey are being compiled. As previously mentioned, each LHD will receive a report of their individual results in comparison format along with a regional and statewide summary. Due to the volume of data points to be compiled, we anticipate these results will not be released before late next week. More information will be provided on the February 8th PHEP Partners meeting.
HHS, in conjunction with other partners, has piloted and now launched a home (COVID and Flu) test to treat program to provide free at-home test kits, telehealth appointments and, if sick, access to medications that will last until spring of 2024.
This program covers both insured and uninsured people, but the requirements are a bit different (see flyer).
Here is some additional information taken from the toolkit:
- Home Test to Treat is a partnership between the NIH Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics (RADx® Tech) program, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), ASPR, CDC, eMed and UMass Chan Medical School.
- Individuals can enroll on the website (test2treat.org) or via phone 1-800-682-2829
- The program is expected to operate until spring 2024.
- In addition to an overall plan to evaluate the program, there is an additional optional research component run by UMass Chan Medical School.
- NIBIB supports Home Test to Treat through the RADx Tech program under contract #75N92022D00010 with additional support from CDC and ASPR. Eligibility
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For those who are uninsured or enrolled in Medicare, Medicaid, VA healthcare or Indian Health Services:
- Do not need to have COVID-19 or flu to sign up,
- Are eligible for free at-home COVID/flu tests
- If testing positive, participants can receive free telehealth care and medication for COVID-19 and/or flu, if prescribed
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For those who are privately insured or have employer-sponsored healthcare:
- Eligible to enroll with a current positive COVID-19 and/or flu test
- Can receive free telehealth care and medication for COVID-19 and/or flu, if prescribed
- Those with employer-sponsored or private insurance are not currently eligible to receive free tests.
- Identification is not required to enroll.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) coordinated with local health officials to pre-position PO tecovirimat (TPOXX) to local jurisdictions for the treatment of MPOXX patients. At this time, there are no anticipated expiration date extensions for oral TPOXX, and the two lots that MDHHS obtained are scheduled to expire January 31, 2024 (Lot #24601059) and May 31, 2024 (Lot #24601061). Once these lots of oral TPOXX are expired, jurisdictions may dispose of the product using established internal protocols for disposal.
- Local jurisdictions are expected to maintain records of lot numbers and quantities of products that have been destroyed. This should also include any records of product that had been distributed/pre-positioned elsewhere within their jurisdiction.
- While there are currently no anticipated dating extensions for oral TPOXX, jurisdictions are free to hold expired product in quarantine if they choose to do so.
- Once product is disposed of, please communicate lot number, bottle quantity, and date of disposal to smithj20@michigan.gov to complete federal reporting requirements.
Moving forward, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health, is now enrolling patients in the Study of Tecovirimat for Human Mpox Virus (STOMP), which is designed to assess whether TPOXX is safe and effective treatment of MPOX in people with the disease. Providers are encouraged to inform patients with MPOX about STOMP and to recommend they consider enrollment. Patients who physically enroll at a STOMP trial site will receive TPOXX onsite. Remote enrollment is also available by which TPOXX is shipped directly to the patient, typically within 24 hours.
Providers with patients with MPOX who decline enrollment in or are ineligible for STOMP, or who require intravenous TPOXX treatment, and meet treatment eligibility under the Expanded Access-Investigational New Drug (EA-IND) protocol (e.g., have severe disease or involvement of anatomic areas that might result in serious sequelae, or are at high risk for severe disease), can request PO TPOXX through 6/30/2024 by completing the MDHHS TPOXX Request Form. For intravenous TPOXX (and after 6/30/24), providers are encouraged to call the CDC Emergency Operations Center (EOC) at (770) 488-7100 or sending an e-mail to poxvirus@cdc.gov. Providers may also request a clinical consultation regarding management of patients with MPOX by contacting the CDC EOC or poxvirus@cdc.gov.
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