COVID-19 treatments and prevention: Interested in receiving COVID-19 treatment?

Antiviral treatments are oral (pills) and IV medications that stop the coronavirus from replicating. Oral and IV antiviral medications are investigational medicine for patients who have tested positive for COVID-19 and meet certain criteria.

Names for oral antiviral drugs include remdesivir (Veklury), molnupiravir (Lagevrio) and nirmatrelvir/ritonavir (Paxlovid).

Patients who test positive for COVID-19, have mild to moderate symptoms and are not hospitalized or requiring new oxygen therapy or an increase in oxygen therapy due to COVID-19 might be eligible for this treatment option. Patients also must have risk factors for developing severe COVID-19 that results in hospitalization or death.

• Cancer

• Chronic kidney disease

• Chronic liver disease

• Chronic lung disease (asthma, bronchiectasis, COPD, interstitial lung disease, pulmonary fibrosis, cystic fibrosis, pulmonary embolism, pulmonary hypertension)

• Dementia or other neurological condition

• Diabetes (type 1 or 2)

• Down syndrome

• Heart condition (heart failure, coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathy, high blood pressure (hypertension)

• HIV infection

• Immunocompromised state (weakened immune system) from an inflammatory or autoimmune disease or immunosuppressive medicine

• Mental health condition (mood disorder, depression, schizophrenia)

• Pregnancy

• Sickle cell disease or thalassemia

• Smoking, current or former

• Solid organ or blood stem cell transplant

• Stroke or cerebrovascular disease, which affects blood flow to the brain

• Substance use disorder (such as alcohol, opioid or cocaine use disorder)

• Tuberculosis

• Neurodevelopmental disorders (for example, cerebral palsy) or other conditions that confer medical complexity (for example, genetic or metabolic syndromes and severe congenital anomalies)

• Medical-related technological dependence (for example, tracheostomy, gastrostomy or positive pressure ventilation, not related to COVID-19)

Treatments and vaccines can help offer protection from COVID-19, but they are different. Antiviral medications can help a patient who is sick with COVID-19 fight off the infection. A COVID-19 vaccine offers protection from future viruses, but cannot treat a patient who is already sick.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved remdesivir (Veklury) and nirmatrelvir/ritonavir (Paxlovid). The FDA has authorized the emergency use (EUA) of molnupiravir and for Paxlovid for use in pediatric patients. This authorization is different than FDA approval. Drugs under EUA are considered investigational and still being studied, so there is limited information known at this time about their safety and effectiveness.

To request COVID-19 treatment including antiviral medications, please complete a request through your MyChart account.

To submit a request through MyChart

• Log in to your MyChart account

• Under the Menu, select COVID-19

• In the next screen that displays, select COVID-19 Medication Request

If you do not have a MyChart account, please call (608) 720-3319, Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

If you are eligible a pharmacist will return your call to offer a treatment.