Treatment
People who have been diagnosed with COVID-19, are symptomatic, and at higher-risk for severe COVID-19 should talk with their medical provider promptly about the possibility of treatment. People in the higher-risk category include:
- People aged 50 years or older
- People with an immunocompromised or weakened immune system
- People with underlying health conditions that increase their risk of developing severe COVID-19 illness.
Treatment is most effective when taken within five days of when your symptoms start. It is important to contact your healthcare provider as soon as your symptoms start.
Visit VDH’s COVID-19 Treatment webpage for more information.
Visit the VDH COVID-19 Treatment webpage to see treatments that are currently available. Currently, there are three antiviral medications for the treatment of COVID-19 in outpatients:
- Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir with ritonavir) - an oral medication
- Veklury (remdesivir) - a medication given by infusion into a vein
- Lagevrio (molnupiravir) - an oral medication
According to the National Institutes of Health:
- Paxlovid is the first-choice medication for treatment of COVID-19
- Veklury is the second-choice medication for treatment of COVID-19, and
- Lagevrio should only be used for the treatment of COVID-19
Patient assistance programs are available to help lower out-of-pocket costs for treatment:
If you have symptoms that you believe may be COVID-19, it is very important that you test yourself or get tested promptly. Many COVID-19 tests that you can perform yourself are available for purchase over-the-counter at pharmacies. Or you can seek medical help as described below.
Call your healthcare provider to see if they can evaluate you and prescribe treatment for COVID-19. If they don’t provide this service, there are other medical sites where you can be evaluated, including the following:
- Community Health Centers (CHCs) or Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) in Virginia locator tool
- Virginia Association of Free and Charitable Clinics locator tool
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Test to Treat sites – People can also call 800-232-0233 (TTY 888-720-7489) for more information about this program. Help is provided in more than 150 languages. The call center is open Monday – Friday, 8 AM to 8 PM, and Saturday and Sunday, 8 AM to 5 PM.
- An urgent care center
- Contact your local health department to see if they can assist you in finding a medical provider.
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