Patients today have more treatment options in the battle against COVID-19. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved one drug treatment for COVID-19 and has authorized others for emergency use during this public health emergency. In addition, many more therapies are being tested in clinical trials to evaluate whether they are safe and effective in combating COVID-19.
Here’s a closer look at some of the available COVID-19 treatments and how to get more information about them and others. Talk to your health care provider about available treatment options if you have COVID-19. Your provider will know the best option for you, based on your symptoms, risks, and health history.
Antiviral Pills: Currently there are two kinds of pills that have received emergency use authorization to treat the virus that causes COVID-19: Paxlovid and Molupiravir. You need a prescription from a medical provider for both types of pills. Then a pharmacy needs to provide you with the pills that were prescribed. Supplies are limited for now. These pills can be found at many CVS and Rite Aid pharmacies as well as at a number of additional pharmacies to provide access across the County.
Monoclonal Antibodies: Monoclonal antibodies can also be used for the prevention of COVID-19, also known as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). Evusheld is a monoclonal antibody treatment that is intended to protect individuals who are unable to mount an adequate immune response to COVID-19 vaccination or are unable to receive a COVID-19 vaccine due to severe adverse reactions.
IV Antiviral Infusion: Antiviral infusions have been used to treat people who are hospitalized for COVID-19. Recent studies have also shown that this treatment can be used for patients with mild or moderate symptoms who are not hospitalized to help prevent progression to severe disease.
Talk to your healthcare provider. They can help determine which line of treatment is best for you.
