The scientific and health care communities are researching and studying effective ways to manage, reduce, and eradicate the impact of the coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2.
Potential Treatments for COVID-19
COVID-19 treatment options are available for patients with mild to moderate symptoms and for hospitalized patients. Your health care provider will recommend the best treatment option for you, based on your symptoms and your health history.
COVID-19 care is available to individuals regardless of insurance or immigration status.
It is important to talk to your healthcare provider about treatment options before you take medicine. People have been seriously harmed and even died after taking products not approved for COVID-19, even products approved or prescribed for other uses.
Learn the steps to take if you are sick to care for yourself and protect others.
Monoclonal Antibody Treatments
Your body naturally makes antibodies to fight infection. However, your body may not have antibodies designed to recognize a new virus like SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Monoclonal antibodies are made in a laboratory and are given to patients directly with an infusion. The antibodies work to block the virus that causes COVID-19 from attaching to human cells, making it more difficult for the virus to reproduce and cause harm.
COVID-19 monoclonal antibody therapeutics may be available to patients who test positive for COVID-19 are:
- no more than 10 days from symptom onset
- experiencing mild to moderate symptoms
- at high risk of developing severe disease
- COVID-19 vaccinated and unvaccinated
- age 12 years and older
Find Monoclonal Antibody Treatment
People who have had symptoms for 10 days or less should be referred for treatment by their healthcare providers and directed to available infusion locations.
If you do not have a healthcare provider, call the Combat COVID Monoclonal Antibodies Call Center at 1-877-332-6585 to find out who to talk with about your symptoms and treatment. There is no cost to anyone for the antibodies themselves, but there may be treatment fees. If you do not have insurance, ask the facility if there will be a charge.
Clinical trials help researchers find better vaccines and medicines for COVID-19. Choosing to join a clinical trial is a personal decision. Talk with your doctor about joining a clinical trial.
Learn how you can participate in a clinical trial to help combat COVID-19.
Hospital Treatments
There are treatments for hospitalized patients with severe cases of COVID-19 that have been approved or authorized for emergency use by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
- Remdesivir is an antiviral drug approved by the FDA for the treatment of COVID-19 in hospitalized adults and hospitalized pediatric patients at least 12 years of age. It works by stopping SARS-CoV-2 from spreading in the body.
- Health care providers and scientists are investigating other drugs and treatments that may slow or reduce the virus’ growth and spread in the body, as well as to enhance breathing, provide disease-fighting antibodies, and help with other symptoms.
The National Institute of Health (NIH) COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines are for providers caring for patients with COVID-19.
Ensuring the Safety and Effectiveness of Treatments
After a public health emergency was declared for the COVID-19 pandemic, it was also determined that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) could authorize the emergency use of tests, treatments, and vaccines to reduce suffering, loss of life and restore the health and security of our country.
- FDA has approved the use of one anitviral drug Veklury (remdesivir) to treat COVID-19. FDA can also issue emergency use authorizations (EUAs) to allow healthcare providers to use products that are not yet approved, or that are approved for other uses, to treat patients with COVID-19 if certain legal requirements are met.
- NIH is leading and supporting research on safe and effective treatments to fight COVID-19.
Do you know the difference between FDA approval and authorization?
An approval of a new drug requires substantial scientific evidence of the effectiveness of the product and a demonstration of safety for the drug’s intended use(s). To determine an emergency use authorization (EUA), the FDA evaluates the totality of available scientific evidence and carefully balances any known or potential risks with any known or potential benefits of the product for use during an emergency.
