COVID-19 Treatments

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General information about COVID-19 treatments

If you have tested positive for COVID-19, and are at high risk for severe illness, you should seek treatment even if you are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Your doctor or health care provider can help you determine if COVID-19 therapeutic treatments may be right for you. COVID-19 therapeutic treatments are not a substitute for vaccination against COVID-19. Getting vaccinated is the best way to protect yourself from COVID-19. For more information, please visit the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment's (CDPHE) getting outpatient treatment for COVID-19 page [external link].

Getting a COVID-19 vaccine and practicing layered prevention (such as wearing a mask in public indoor settings, social distancing, staying home when sick, avoiding indoor crowds and frequently washing your hands) is the best way to avoid becoming seriously ill with COVID-19.

Many people who become ill with COVID-19 will experience mild symptoms and are able to recover at home. Symptomatic treatment options such as getting plenty of rest, pushing fluids, over-the-counter cold and flu medications, and over-the-counter painkillers can help to alleviate fever and other symptoms. It is important to monitor symptoms carefully. Signs that you may need help from a medical professional include difficulty breathing, difficulty keeping fluids down, high fever, rapid pulse, a pulse ox below 90, and/or elevated blood pressure. In a medical emergency, always call 9-1-1.  

Certain people are at higher risk of becoming seriously ill from COVID-19:

For additional information for people who are at higher risk of severe illness [external link].

Telehealth

Telehealth means connecting with a health care provider over the phone or through a video call. 

  1. Find a telehealth provider and make an appointment. Many insurance companies provide telehealth services for their members. Contact your insurance company to learn if telehealth services are available through your plan. If you don’t have insurance, you can find an appointment using a fee-based telehealth company [external link]. Many providers offer same-day or next-day appointments.
  2. The telehealth provider will ask you some questions to find out if treatment is right for you and what kind of treatment you might be able to take.
  3. If the provider recommends treatment, they will write you a prescription and send it to a pharmacy or treatment location near you.

Learn more about how telehealth treatment at CDPHE’s website [external link].

Antiviral Medications

Antivirals are medications that help your body fight off certain viruses that can cause disease, such as COVID-19. Talk to your doctor or healthcare provider if you have tested positive for COVID-19 to see if you are eligible for antiviral treatment.

Who is Eligible for Antiviral Medications? 

Evidence shows that COVID-19 therapeutic treatments such antiviral medications can greatly decrease your risk of severe illness and hospitalization for COVID-19. These treatments work best if they are taken within the first few days of symptom onset, so it is important to seek treatment quickly to lower your risk of serious illness. You may be eligible for this treatment if you are not hospitalized or on oxygen due to COVID-19, and you are at high risk of getting very sick without treatment. Please contact your medical care provider or visit the CDPHE's getting covid-19 treatment page [external link]. 

Test to Treat

The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) remains focused on providing the tools and strategies to help enable communities to safely move forward.

ASPR is making sure critical COVID-19 therapeutics are available to eligible patients across the country. The recently launched Test to Treat program supports this priority effort by creating an additional pathway for fast access to lifesaving COVID-19 treatments. A web-based site locator is now available to easily find Test to Treat locations. Those who may have difficulty accessing the internet or need additional support locating a site, can call 1-800-232-0233 (TTY 1-888-720-7489) for help in English, Spanish, and more than 150 other languages – 8 a.m. to midnight ET, seven days a week. The Disability Information and Access Line (DIAL) is also available to help people with disabilities access services. For help, call 1-888-677-1199, Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET or email USA Aging and Disability. 

To learn more about the Test to Treat program, please visit:

Antiviral medications are not a substitute for vaccination against COVID-19. Getting vaccinated is the best way to protect yourself from COVID-19.