People who test positive across the Midlands and have a high risk of becoming seriously ill from COVID-19 have been offered new antiviral treatments available from the NHS, to help manage symptoms and reduce hospitalisation.

So far 3,045 antibody and antiviral treatments have been given to people by the NHS across the region, with 1,579 doses administered in the West Midlands, since December 2021.

People with a range of conditions including cancer, liver disease, immune deficiencies and neurological disorders are eligible for the treatments which work by stopping the virus from reproducing in the body once infected.

Des Davis, 54 from Lincoln in the Midlands, who has a compromised immune system, believes the treatment saved his life.

He said: “I had started to feel unwell and it got a lot worse, very quickly. I did a lateral flow and I had also been sent a PCR test which I sent off in the post and less than 24 hours later I knew I had COVID. By this time my symptoms were a lot worse and I was really starting to worry.

“When I got the call about the treatment, I was so relieved when they said I was eligible. I went straight to the hospital and had the treatment and gradually the symptoms started to wear off.

“I dread to think what might have happened if I hadn’t had the treatment. I honestly believe I would have ended up in hospital and who knows. I believe it saved my life.”

The antiviral treatments currently available from the NHS are nirmatrelvir and ritonavir (Paxlovid), sotrovimab (Xevudy), remdesivir (Veklury) and molnupiravir (Lagevrio).

Dr Nigel Sturrock, Regional Medical Director at NHS England and NHS Improvement in the Midlands, said: “I am delighted we have offered over 3,000 of the most vulnerable people in the Midlands effective treatments when they have developed symptoms and tested positive for the COVID-19 virus.

“Antivirals are a hugely important addition to our response to COVID-19 and administering these medicines to high-risk patients has a significant benefit to vulnerable people and reduce the number that need to be cared for in hospital.

“I would still encourage everybody who hasn’t already done so to get their vaccination as soon as possible. It remains the best way of putting up a barrier against COVID-19 for you and those around you.

“But for those who do become infected and are vulnerable, these treatments will help reduce symptoms, speed up recovery times and mean fewer people are admitted to hospital.”

People who develop symptoms, test positive for COVID-19 and are eligible for an antiviral treatment will be contacted by the NHS to assess whether the treatment is right for them.