What are the treatments for COVID-19?

If you think you may have been exposed to a person who has COVID-19, contact your health care provider. You can also follow these steps:

Stay home and stay away from the people you live with to prevent spreading COVID-19 to them

Get tested for COVID-19

Monitor your symptoms

If you have any of the following emergency warning signs, get medical care immediately:

Trouble breathing

Persistent pain or pressure in your chest

Confusion

Inability to wake up or stay awake

Pale, gray, or blue-colored skin, lips, or nail beds, depending on your skin tone

If you have COVID-19, your health care provider will talk to you about the best ways to treat it.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved one drug, remdesivir, which is known by the brand name Veklury, to treat COVID-19.

Your health care provider may prescribe this medicine to treat your COVID-19 symptoms and help you get better.

Your health care provider may also recommend that you take over-the-counter medicines, like acetaminophen or ibuprofen, to reduce a fever and help you feel better.

It’s important to drink a lot of water to stay hydrated. In some cases, your health care provider may recommend that you receive intravenous fluids to stay hydrated.

It’s also important to get plenty of rest. This will help your body fight the virus.

If you are very sick, your health care provider may recommend that you receive treatment for COVID-19 in a hospital.

In some people, COVID-19 can damage the heart, blood vessels, kidneys, brain, skin, eyes, and gastrointestinal organs.

If you have any of these complications, you may receive medicines to treat them.
For example, some people may receive blood thinners to prevent or treat blood clots.

Remember that the best way to protect yourself is to avoid getting or spreading COVID-19. Some things you can do to keep yourself and others healthy include the following:

Stay 6 feet away from people who don’t live in your house

Wear a mask over your nose and mouth

Avoid crowded places

Wash your hands often

Cover your nose and mouth if you cough or sneeze

Clean frequently touched surfaces

Get a flu vaccine and get a COVID-19 vaccine

Let’s review what we just discussed and go over some of the key points:

If you think you may have been exposed to COVID-19, contact your health care provider.

Your health care provider will talk to you about the best ways to treat COVID-19.

If you are very sick, your health care provider may recommend that you receive treatment for

COVID-19 in a hospital.

The best way to protect yourself is to avoid getting or spreading COVID-19.