A leading infectious diseases specialist has urged GPs to prescribe nirmatrelvir–ritonavir more readily for patients in aged care facilities, who are still dying of COVID-19 in unnecessarily high numbers.

Professor Robert Booy says, while COVID-19 deaths in the community have come down considerably, the graph is stuck for those living in nursing homes.

In the three months between May and the end of July this year, some 443 aged care residents died of COVID-19 — higher than the number of influenza deaths.

“These are unnecessary deaths,” he added, stressing that, in one week last month, there were some 400 active outbreaks in aged care homes, with around 2000 residents infected with SARS‑CoV‑2.