Tag: remdesivir

COVID-19 Treatments and Medications
From the CDC: What You Need to Know
- If you test positive for COVID-19 and are more likely to get very sick, treatments are available that can reduce your chances of hospitalization and death.
- Don’t delay: Treatment must be started within days after you first develop symptoms to be effective.
- Other medications can help reduce symptoms and help you manage your illness.
- The Treatment Locator (hhs.gov) can help you find a location that offers testing and treatment or a pharmacy where you can fill your prescription.
Treating COVID-19

If you test positive and are more likely to get very sick from COVID-19, treatments are availableexternal icon that can reduce your chances of being hospitalized or dying from the disease. Medications to treat COVID-19 must be prescribed by a healthcare provider and started as soon as possible after diagnosis to be effective. Contact a healthcare provider right away to determine if you are eligible for treatment, even if your symptoms are mild right now.

Don’t delay: Treatment must be started within days of when you first develop symptoms to be effective.

People who are more likely to get very sick include older adults (ages 50 years or more, with risk increasing with age), people who are unvaccinated, and people with certain medical conditions, such as chronic lung disease, heart disease, or a weakened immune system. Being vaccinated makes you much less likely to get very sick. Still, some vaccinated people, especially those ages 65 years or older or who have other risk factors for severe disease, may benefit from treatment if they get COVID-19. A healthcare provider will help decide which treatment, if any, is right for you. Check with your healthcare provider or pharmacist if you are taking other medications to make sure the COVID-19 treatments can be safely taken at the same time.

Types of Treatments

The FDA has authorized certain antiviral medications and monoclonal antibodies to treat mild to moderate COVID-19 in people who are more likely to get very sick.
- Antiviral treatments target specific parts of the virus to stop it from multiplying in the body, helping to prevent severe illness and death.
- Monoclonal antibodies help the immune system recognize and respond more effectively to the virus.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) provides COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines for healthcare providers to help them work with their patients and determine the best treatment options for them. Several options are available for treating COVID-19. They include:

Treament • Who • When • How

Nirmatrelvir with Ritonavir (Paxlovid) – Antiviral

Adults; children ages 12 years and older

Start as soon as possible; must begin within 5 days of when symptoms start

Taken at home by mouth (orally)

Remdesivir (Veklury) – Antiviral

Adults and children

Start as soon as possible; must begin within 7 days of when symptoms start

Intravenous (IV) infusions at a healthcare facility for 3 consecutive days

Bebtelovimab – Monoclonal antibody

Adults; children ages 12 years and older

Start as soon as possible; must begin within 7 days of when symptoms start

Single IV injection

Molnupiravir (Lagevrio) – Antiviral

Adults

Start as soon as possible; must begin within 5 days of when symptoms start

Taken at home by mouth (orally)

Some treatments might have side effects or interact with other medications you are taking. Ask a healthcare provider if medications to treat COVID-19 are right for you. If you don’t have a healthcare provider, visit a Test to Treat location or contact your local community health center or health department.

If you are hospitalized, your healthcare provider might use other types of treatments, depending on how sick you are. These could include medications to treat the virus, reduce an overactive immune response, or treat COVID-19 complications.

Managing COVID-19 symptoms

Most people with COVID-19 have mild illness and can recover at home. You can treat symptoms with over-the-counter medicines, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil), to help you feel better.

Learn more about what to do if you are sick.

Treatment Locator

Click the link below or call 1-800-232-0233 (TTY 1-888-720-7489) to find a location that offers testing and treatment or a pharmacy where you can fill your prescription.

View Locations

Preventing COVID-19

COVID-19 vaccines

COVID-19 vaccines available in the United States effectively protect people from getting seriously ill, being hospitalized, and even dying—especially people who are boosted. As with vaccines for other diseases, you are protected best when you stay up to date. CDC recommends that everyone who is eligible stay up to date on their COVID-19 vaccines.

To find COVID-19 vaccine locations near you: Search vaccines.gov, text your ZIP code to 438829, or call 1-800-232-0233.

Preventive medications

The FDA has issued an emergency use authorization for tixagevimab plus cilgavimab (EVUSHELD^TM), a medicine that can help protect you from getting COVID-19. EVUSHELD^TMcontains two different antibodies and is given as two separate consecutive intramuscular (IM) injections at a doctor’s office or healthcare facility before you are exposed or test positive for COVID-19. If you are moderately or severely immunocompromised, or severely allergic to COVID-19 vaccines, you may be eligible for EVUSHELD^TM every 6 months. EVUSHELD^TM may offer less protection against certain strains of the Omicron variant. It is important that even if you receive EVUSHELD^TM you take multiple prevention measures. Additionally, you should undergo testing and seek medical attention if you develop symptoms of COVID-19, and start treatment for COVID-19 as appropriate. Talk to your healthcare provider to determine if EVUSHELD^TMis right for you.

The right medications for COVID-19 can help. People have been seriously harmed and even died after taking products not approved for use to treat or prevent COVID-19, even products approved or prescribed for other uses. Talk to a healthcare provider about taking medications to treat COVID-19.

For Healthcare Professionals

General Treatment Resources
Oral Antiviral Treatment Resources
Monoclonal Antibody Treatment Resources
Other Resources
- Don’t Delay: Test Soon and Treat Early [361 KB, 1 page] | Additional Languages
Dec 3, 2022
Ohio receives remdesivir to be distributed statewide

Remdesivir has not yet been approved by the FDA as a treatment for COVID-19

Columbus, Ohio – The Ohio Department of Health (ODH), and the Ohio Hospital Association (OHA), will work together to distribute remdesivir across Ohio that was received from the federal government on Tuesday, May 12.

Ohio’s allocation is not enough to treat all patients.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), has issued an Emergency Use Authorization for remdesivir to allow it to be administered to patients. It is currently being studied in the treatment of COVID-19 in clinical trials and has been found to shorten the duration of disease from 15 to 11 days in patients being treated in-patient hospital settings.

Ohio has received an allotment of 20 cases of remdesivir which is estimated for about 100 patients. How to distribute the drug was decided by the clinical leaders of the geographic zones that were created to help Ohio with this pandemic response. The decision-makers within each zone consisted of clinicians, pharmacists, public health officials, policymakers, ethicists, and other health disciplines that helped with the allocation amount to specific hospitals. The decision was based on the percentage of mechanically ventilated patients; which deems them to have the highest severity level.

“This is not a cure, but early signs indicate that it can help in the treatment of COVID-19,” said ODH Director Amy Acton, M.D., MPH. “Ohio’s allocation is not enough to treat all patients, so we are working with medical experts to ensure distribution is based on clinical best practices.”

“Ohio hospitals are committed to providing care and services to ensure the health and safety of our communities,” said Mike Abrams, President, and CEO, Ohio Hospital Association. “We appreciate the efforts of our policymakers and state leaders to secure resources and treatment to help in the delivery of care for patients impacted by COVID-19.”

Individual hospitals will be responsible for using clinical justification on the distribution of the medication to specific patients.

Remdesivir is administered intravenously and in two courses depending on the severity of the disease. Patients will receive either a 5-day (6-dose) course or a 10-day (11-dose) course, as clinically indicated.

Individual hospitals will be responsible for using clinical justification on the distribution of the medication to specific patients. Whenever the number of patients in need of remdesivir exceeds the supply of the medication, hospitals will use internal processes appropriate for the allocation of scarce resources.

Remdesivir is an investigational medication. While clinical trials indicate that the use of remdesivir has shortened the recovery time for some coronavirus patients, it has not yet been approved by the FDA as a treatment for COVID-19. The EUA and use of remdesivir for the treatment of COVID-19 is only due to the nature of the pandemic, the impact it has had on the population, and the fact that there is no adequate, approved, and available alternative to the emergency use of remdesivir for the treatment of COVID-19.

May 13, 2020