COVID-19 Treatments

People who test positive for COVID-19 and are at higher risk of becoming very sick may benefit from available COVID-19 therapeutics (medications). These treatments can help prevent severe illness, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19. Talk to your healthcare provider right away if you test positive and are at higher risk, as treatments need to be started early to work best. Your healthcare provider will help determine if COVID-19 medications are appropriate for you.

COVID-19 treatments/medications are not a substitute for prevention. It is still recommended that everyone who is eligible get vaccinated, remain up to date, and take steps to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Test to Treat Program

Free and Easier Access to Treatment

The Test to Treat program can provide faster, easier access to lifesaving COVID-19 treatments. If you test positive within five days of experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, or have COVID-19 symptoms and are a close contact of someone recently diagnosed with COVID-19, such as a family member, you can meet with a healthcare provider (either on-site or virtually through telehealth), and if eligible, get a prescription for an oral antiviral treatment and have that prescription filled—all at one location. This service is available for uninsured patients with no out-of-pocket costs at participating locations.

If you are interested in visiting a physical location to find out if you are eligible for treatment, visit the Test to Treat locator site to find a location near you.

If you are interested in meeting virtually with a healthcare provider to see if you are eligible for treatment, the free telehealth service is another option. If you test positive for COVID-19 at home, you can consult with a healthcare provider using a smartphone or computer with a high-speed internet connection. If this is not an option, you can also talk with a healthcare provider by phone. If appropriate, you will receive a prescription for either free home delivery or pharmacy pickup.

What Are Oral Antivirals?

Oral antiviral treatment help your body fight COVID-19 by stopping the SARS-CoV-2 virus (the virus that causes COVID-19) from multiplying in your body. By getting treatment, you could have less serious symptoms and may lower the chances of your illness getting worse and needing care in the hospital. Antiviral treatments for COVID-19 are available for individuals with mild to moderate symptoms, who are not in the hospital, who have had symptoms for five days or less, and who are at high risk for severe illness.

What Are Intravenous Antivirals?

Remdesivir is an established antiviral drug that is FDA approved and is not currently distributed by WADOH. It works by blocking the virus from making copies of itself (replicating). Remdesivir is given through a needle in the vein (intravenously) over time, which is called an IV infusion.

Remdesivir is approved for the treatment of non-hospitalized adults and children who are at high risk for severe COVID-19. On April 25, 2022, the FDA expanded this approval to include children at least 28 days old who weigh at least 3 kg (about 6.6 pounds) and who are at risk for developing severe disease, making remdesivir the first FDA-approved treatment for children under age 12.

Remdesivir should be started as soon as possible, and within seven days of when symptoms began, so it's important for people at high risk to connect with their health care provider if they have symptoms and test positive for COVID-19. The treatment is given as a series of three IV infusions, given once a day for three consecutive days.

Not all health care facilities can offer outpatient remdesivir treatment – patients should speak to their health care provider to see if it may be a potential treatment option.

Remdesivir is also used to treat patients who are hospitalized with more severe illness due to COVID-19. If you are hospitalized due to COVID-19, your health care providers will decide if remdesivir or other treatments are needed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is eligible to receive oral antivirals?

Paxlovid: Adults and pediatric patients (12 years of age and older weighing at least 88 pounds/40 kg) at high risk for progressing to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death.

Monulpiravir: Adults at high risk for progressing to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death, and for whom alternative COVID-19 treatment options authorized by FDA are not accessible or clinically appropriate.

Is treatment covered by Medicaid/Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP)?

Yes. Medicaid/CHIP is covering the administration fee for mAbs treatments. The administration fee is the fee a health care provider charges to give you the treatment. For most mAbs, the cost of the product itself is covered by the federal government.

If I am uninsured, can I still receive treatment for COVID-19?

COVID-19 therapeutics that are purchased by the federal government are provided at no cost for patients. However, providers can have dispensing, treatment and administration fees that can are covered by insurance, patients or federal programs. To know what type of coverage is available when seeking therapeutics, please consult with your provider.

Can undocumented individuals receive treatment for COVID-19?

Undocumented individuals can receive coverage from the Alien Emergency Medical Program for:

  • Qualifying emergencies to include the assessment and treatment of COVID-19.
  • The testing and treatment settings to include office, clinic, or over telehealth.
  • Approved services. Individuals who test positive for COVID-19 may have medications and respiratory services covered. Potential positive COVID-19 results may have follow-up visits and medications covered

How to Apply to AEM

Adults age 19 through 64:

Adults age 65 or older, blind, disabled, or in need of long-term services:

Resources for Uninsured Individuals

Uninsured individuals who need COVID-19 therapeutics or other health care coverage can access:

Uninsured individuals can also seek services in many of the clinics that are part of the following Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs): 

Additional Resources

The state's COVID-19 hotline is available to answer additional questions. Hotline information is on the Contact Us page.

For more about COVID-19 therapeutics, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's COVID-19 Therapeutics page.