COVID-19 antiviral use among aged care residents

Figure 6.1 is an interactive chart where readers can explore differences in COVID-19 antiviral dispensing between 16 February 2022 and 31 December 2022 among aged care residents with a COVID-19 diagnosis, by dementia status and for selected population groups: sex, age group and region of residence (state or territory, remoteness area and socioeconomic area), and number of COVID-19 vaccine doses received. To aid the interpretation of findings, 95% confidence intervals are included.

Overall, between 16 February 2022 and 31 December 2022:

  • 49% of residents with a dementia record and 52% of people with no dementia record were dispensed antiviral medication (Figure 6.1)
  • the percentage of residents dispensed antivirals was higher for those who had received 3 or more COVID-19 vaccine doses (for example, 51% of people with a dementia record) compared with those who had received 0, 1 or 2 doses (36–37%).

Key demographic patterns among population groups were:

  • A higher percentage of women were dispensed antiviral medication than men (50% of women and 47% of men with a dementia record, Figure 6.1).
  • Dispensing of antiviral medication increased with increasing age (from 42% of people with a dementia record aged 50–59 to 50% of those aged 90 and over).
  • The percentage of residents dispensed antivirals was lowest in the Northern Territory (22% of people with a dementia record) and Queensland (35%).
  • The percentage of residents dispensed antivirals decreased with increasing remoteness: from 50% of people with a dementia record in Major cities to 39% in Remote and very remote areas (Table S6.1).
  • The percentage of residents dispensed antivirals was higher in the highest socioeconomic group (52% of people with a dementia record) than in the lowest socioeconomic group (46%).

These demographic patterns were similar for residents with no dementia record (Figure 6.1). 

These findings may be influenced by palliative care preferences and the presence of advance care plans (Janbek 2021; Johnson et al. 2024). For example, a Queensland study reported a higher rate of recorded wishes to not be resuscitated among unvaccinated residents than those who received 3 vaccine doses (Ellis et al. 2022). Other studies have reported potential barriers to timely access to testing, prescribing and administration of medicines in the community setting (Green et al. 2023; Clark et al. 2024; Thomas et al. 2025). Ensuring rapid access to oral antiviral treatments forms part of national outbreak management guidelines for residential aged care facilities (CDNA 2024).

Figure 6.1: Percentage of aged care residents with a COVID-19 diagnosis who were dispensed COVID-19 antiviral medication, by dementia status and population group (16 February 2022 to 31 December 2022)

A series of bar charts show variation in dispensing of COVID-19 antivirals across population groups.

A series of bar charts show variation in dispensing of COVID-19 antivirals across population groups.

Notes:

  1. Counts include antivirals dispensed within 3 days before COVID-19 diagnosis and up to 14 days after a resident’s latest COVID-19 diagnosis.
  2. Number of vaccine doses was calculated as the total number of COVID-19 vaccinations recorded on the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) 14 days or more prior to a person's latest COVID-19 diagnosis. See Technical notes for further details.
  3. Analysis by socioeconomic area was based on the 2021 Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA) Index of Relative Socio-economic Disadvantage (IRSD) quintiles, where 1 is the most disadvantaged area and 5 is the least disadvantaged area. The socioeconomic area of a person’s residential aged care facility may not be the same as the socioeconomic area/s they previously lived in.
  4. Data were not available for Western Australia.
  5. Abbreviations: ACT: Australian Capital Territory, NSW: New South Wales, NT: Northern Territory, QLD: Queensland, SA: South Australia, TAS: Tasmania, VIC: Victoria. 
  6. To aid the interpretation of findings, 95% confidence intervals are included.

For downloadable data tables, see Table S6.1 in Data tables (COVID-19 vaccination and antiviral use among aged care residents with a COVID-19 diagnosis).


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