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COVID-19 Treatments and Therapeutics
Information about investigational medication treatments (therapeutics), will be updated as new information emerges.
How to manage your COVID-19 symptoms at home
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Sleep and rest as much as possible. Feeling weak and tired for a while is normal, but your energy will return over time.
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Keep track of your symptoms, which may include fever, cough, loss of taste and smell, difficulty breathing, among others.
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Drink plenty of water and other caffeine-free fluids to keep your urine light yellow or clear. If you have kidney, heart or liver disease and have to limit fluids, ask your physician before increasing the amount of fluids you’re consuming.
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Follow medication prescriptions precisely. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) and ibuprofen (Advil) can help control fevers and ease body aches, while cough medicine can help reduce your cough so that you can rest better.
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Follow care instructions from your health care provider and local health department. Your local health authorities may give instructions on checking your symptoms and reporting information.
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Avoid contact with people and pets in your home as much as possible. Maintain at least six-feet social distancing and wear a face mask when around others. Don’t sleep or spend time in the same room with others. Use a different bathroom, if possible.
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Don’t share bedding, towels, dishes, utensils or drinking containers. Wash dishes in hot water or use a dishwasher.
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Tell your close contacts that they may have been exposed to COVID-19. If you’re infected, you can spread COVID-19 starting 48 hours (or 2 days) before you have any symptoms or test positive.
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Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Be sure to wash your hands after blowing your nose, sneezing or coughing; after using the bathroom; and before eating or preparing food.
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Clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces in your household every day, including door knobs, tables, countertops, light switches, keyboards, phones, remotes, touch screens, toilets, faucets and sinks.
When should you seek medical help?
If you show any of these emergency warning signs, seek medical help immediately:
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Trouble breathing
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Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
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New confusion or inability to arouse
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Bluish lips or face
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:
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Have tested positive for COVID-19 and have had symptoms for 10 days or less
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Are at high risk of becoming seriously ill, including those who have been recently exposed to someone who tested positive for COVID-19.
WHO QUALIFIES?
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CHART: Monoclonal Antibody Factsheet showing eligibility for COVID-19 monoclonal antibody therapy and frequently asked questions. (Updated 11/22/2021)
FIND TREATMENT:
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See your health care provider for a treatment prescription and referral to a North Dakota health care facility that provides monoclonal antibody treatment.
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For more information on locating monoclonal antibody therapeutics, visit the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) website here.
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).
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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.
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The FDA has authorized additional treatments for emergency use, including convalescent plasma and other treatment combinations.
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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.
COVID-19 Treatment Resources for Health Care Providers
Ensuring the Safety and Effectiveness of Treatments
After a national 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.
The FDA has approved the antiviral drug Veklury (remdesivir) for adults and certain pediatric patients with COVID-19.
During public health emergencies, the FDA may authorize the use of unapproved drugs or unapproved uses of approved drugs under certain conditions. This is called an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA).
Therapeutic products authorized under an EUA are listed on the FDA’s EUA page. These products are not a substitute for vaccination against COVID-19.
For example, the FDA has issued EUAs for several monoclonal antibody treatments for COVID-19 for the treatment, and in some cases prevention (prophylaxis), of COVID-19 in adults and pediatric patients. Monoclonal antibodies are laboratory-made molecules that act as substitute antibodies. They can help your immune system recognize and respond more effectively to the virus, making it more difficult for the virus to reproduce and cause harm.
The FDA continues to work with developers, researchers, manufacturers, the National Institutes of Health, and other partners to help expedite the development and availability of therapeutic drugs and biological products to prevent or treat COVID-19. To check whether a drug is approved by FDA, search the database of approved drugs by visiting the Drugs@FDA database.
Researchers are studying drugs that are already approved for other health conditions as possible treatments for COVID-19. Additionally, the FDA created the Coronavirus Treatment Acceleration Program (CTAP) to use every available means to assess new treatments and move them to patients as quickly as possible.
Additional Resources and References
COVID-19 Treatments and Therapeutics | HHS.gov
Therapeutic Options for COVID-19 Patients | CDC
Hospitalized Adults: Therapeutic Management | COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines (nih.gov)
For other questions, please contact the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH) COVID hotline at 1-866-207-2880
Content last updated 1/25/2022