After controversy, the state of Minnesota, in the United States, decided to remove the criterion “race” as a factor to be considered in the distribution of a scarce treatment against Covid-19.
The guidance used in the state for the distribution of monoclonal antibodies has been updated and now immunosuppressed and pregnant women will have priority to receive the drug while stocks are low. Authorities have given up on using a scoring system that would take into account the patient’s race, according to the paper. Star Tribune.
US states began making plans for the distribution of the treatment, which consists of an infusion of synthetic antibodies, when the drug became scarce, following the interruption of supply of two of the three available versions, which were not shown to be effective against the omicron variant. of the coronavirus.
THE Fox News reported last week that the states of Minnesota and Utah faced potential lawsuits after their governments issued guidance that used race and ethnicity as factors in prioritizing treatment.
The America First Legal Foundation wrote letters alleging that states were violating federal law through “blatant discrimination.”
The state of Utah has published a scoring system to determine patients’ risk and eligibility for treatments. The factor “non-white race or Hispanic or Latino ethnicity” received two points in the assessment, while other “high-risk comorbidity” factors received one point. “Highest-risk” comorbidities, such as diabetes, obesity and immunodeficiency, were also given two points, according to Fox News.
The state of Minnesota published a document citing guidance from the US federal drug regulatory agency, the FDA, which said race and ethnicity were relevant factors.
The Minnesota state policy change came on the same day that the America First Legal group threatened to sue the two states, arguing the policies were unfair.
The scoring system was developed in December in Minnesota, based on a study that indicated that racial minorities are at greater risk for negative outcomes from coronavirus infection even after excluding factors such as age and health conditions. A weekly report released by the state government last week reported that blacks account for 11% of hospitalizations in the state, although they make up 6% of the population, the Star Tribune reported.
America First Legal argued in its letter to state health officials that “skin color is not a medical condition equivalent to hypertension, heart disease or obesity, which are known factors that increase the risk of death or serious illness among those infected with Covid-19”.
#state #race #criterion #treating #Covid