COVID-19 services are available to individuals regardless of insurance or immigration status.
Talk to a healthcare professional about treatment options before taking 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 how to manage your COVID-19 symptoms at home
If you are sick with COVID-19 or think you might have COVID-19, follow these steps to care for yourself and to help protect other people in your home and community.
Out-of-Hospital Treatment Options for COVID-19
Oral Antiviral Treatments
The FDA authorized two oral antivirals, Pfizer's Paxlovid and Merck's molnupiravir, for the treatment of COVID-19 in certain patients.
Monoclonal Antibody Treatments
COVID-19 monoclonal antibody therapeutics (mAb) are available for people ages 12 years or older who:
- Have tested positive for COVID-19 and have had symptoms for 10 days or less
- Are at high risk of becoming seriously ill, including those who have been recently exposed to someone who tested positive for COVID-19.
What are monoclonal antibodies and how do they work?
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. These antibodies make it more difficult for the virus to reproduce and cause harm.
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.
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.
Have symptoms, but no healthcare provider? Call the Combat COVID Monoclonal Antibodies Call Center at 1-877-332-6585.
Clinical Trials
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 participating in a clinical trial.
- Learn how you can join a clinical trial to help combat COVID-19.
Hospital Treatments for COVID-19
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.
- The FDA has authorized additional treatments for emergency use, including convalescent plasma and other treatment combinations.
- Healthcare 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.
COVID-19 Treatment Resources for Healthcare Providers
Ensuring the Safety and Effectiveness of Treatments
After a public health emergency was declared for the COVID-19 pandemic, it was 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 has also issued 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. Learn more about these treatment options.
- 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.
