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| Meta Title | What COVID-19 Treatments Are AvailableâAnd Which One Should I Take? | Henry Ford Health - Detroit, MI |
| Meta Description | An expert lays out the leading outpatient treatments for COVID-19, explains the differences among them and shares who should take them. |
| Meta Canonical | com,henryford!www,/Blog/2022/12/covid-treatments s443 |
| Boilerpipe Text | Posted on
December
27,
2022
by
11475
COVID-19 will likely never go away, but the good news is there are a few outpatient treatments (along with effective vaccines) that can help prevent serious illness. âThese treatments are all antiviral drugs, meaning they prevent the virus from replicating in the cells,â says
Bruce Muma, M.D.
, an internal medicine physician at Henry Ford Health. âIn order to work, they must be taken in the early stage of illness, before someone requires hospitalization.âÂ
Here, Dr. Muma shares the outpatient treatments to know aboutâand who should take them.
1. Paxlovid (Nirmatrelvir/Ritonavir)
This oral antiviral pill must be taken within five days of the onset of COVID-19 symptoms. It should be taken twice daily for five days. âPaxlovid is the preferred outpatient treatment,â says Dr. Muma. âIt is 88% effective in reducing the risk of hospitalization or death.â The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued an emergency use authorization for its use in ages 12+ who have underlying medical conditionsâand
the underlying medical conditions listed
are quite broad. Â
âPaxlovid isnât only authorized for people who are
immunocompromised
or who have chronic diseases like diabetes,â says Dr. Muma. âYou can take Paxlovid if youâre overweight. You can take it if you have high blood pressure, substance abuse issues, if youâre a smoker or if you have disabilities. Hospitalization with
COVID-19
 doesnât usually occur until around day eight and you have to decide whether to take Paxlovid by day five. But if you are a high-risk individualâif you qualify to take PaxlovidâI recommend you take it to prevent a serious outcome.âÂ
That said,
Paxlovid has several drug interactions
, so if youâre on a medication thatâs incompatible with Paxlovid, you may not be able to take it. âTalk to your doctor,â says Dr. Muma. âIf youâre not on a life-sustaining drug, it may be possible to adjust or stop the medication for eight to ten days while youâre taking Paxlovid.â Â
The most common Paxlovid side effects include an upset stomach and altered sense of taste. âA mild case of rebound COVID also occurs in about 5% to 6% of people, which is when you experience COVID-19 symptoms around three days after your last dose of Paxlovid,â says Dr. Muma. âYouâre not at risk of severe disease, you just have a bit of prolonged illness.â  Â
2. Lagevrio (Molnupiravir)
This is an alternative oral medication for those who canât take Paxlovid. âIt is better tolerated and there are fewer drug interactions, but itâs also way less effectiveâitâs about 30% effective in reducing hospitalization or death due to COVID-19,â says Dr. Muma. It must be taken within five days of the onset of symptoms and should be taken twice daily for five days. The
FDA has also issued an emergency use authorization for its use
in ages 18+.
3. Veklury (Remdesivir)
This IV treatment has been one of the primary inpatient COVID-19 treatments for a while, but it is now also FDA-approved for outpatient use. âItâs logistically difficult because you need an IV infusion for three days in a row, but itâs just about equally as effective as Paxlovid,â says Dr. Muma. âSo itâs really for people who cannot take Paxlovid but who need a treatment with more than a 30% efficacy rate.â It must be taken within seven days of the onset of symptomsâbut the sooner you take it, the better.  Â
What About Monoclonal Antibody Treatment?
Monoclonal antibody therapy works differently from antiviral drugs. Theyâre manufactured antibody proteins that attach themselves to the virus, immobilizing it and activating the immune system to clear the virus from the body. When the pandemic began, monoclonal antibody therapy was the main line of treatment. But now itâs no longer offered.  Â
âMonoclonal antibodies are not effective against the new COVID-19 variants,â says Dr. Muma. âThat has been the challenge with monoclonal antibodiesâtrying to stay ahead of the variants. Whenever a resistant strain started to become prevalent, we had to alter the monoclonal antibody treatment for it to be effective. Weâve since made four alterations over the years and we currently donât have an option that protects against the dominant COVID-19 variant.â Â
Luckily, Paxlovid and Veklury are effective alternatives. But of course, if you are at high-risk for contracting a serious case of
COVID-19
, talk to your doctor to see which of the available treatments would be best for you.Â
And although we have effective treatments, itâs still recommended to get the first line of defense:
the bivalent COVID-19 booster
. âWe strongly encourage everyone to get vaccinated,â says Dr. Muma. âThe new booster is effective against both the original strain of COVID-19 and the Omicron variants and can help decrease the severity of illness, should you contract COVID-19.âÂ
Learn more about
COVID-19 treatments
 offered at Henry Ford Health.Â
Bruce Muma, M.D.
, is an internal medicine physician at Henry Ford Health. He is the CEO of Henry Ford Physician Network.  |
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# What COVID-19 Treatments Are AvailableâAnd Which One Should I Take?
Posted on December 27, 2022 by Henry Ford Health Staff
11475
COVID-19 will likely never go away, but the good news is there are a few outpatient treatments (along with effective vaccines) that can help prevent serious illness. âThese treatments are all antiviral drugs, meaning they prevent the virus from replicating in the cells,â says [Bruce Muma, M.D.](https://www.henryford.com/Physician-Directory/M/Muma-Bruce), an internal medicine physician at Henry Ford Health. âIn order to work, they must be taken in the early stage of illness, before someone requires hospitalization.â
Here, Dr. Muma shares the outpatient treatments to know aboutâand who should take them.
## 1\. Paxlovid (Nirmatrelvir/Ritonavir)
This oral antiviral pill must be taken within five days of the onset of COVID-19 symptoms. It should be taken twice daily for five days. âPaxlovid is the preferred outpatient treatment,â says Dr. Muma. âIt is 88% effective in reducing the risk of hospitalization or death.â The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued an emergency use authorization for its use in ages 12+ who have underlying medical conditionsâand [the underlying medical conditions listed](https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/clinical-care/underlyingconditions.html) are quite broad.
âPaxlovid isnât only authorized for people who are [immunocompromised](https://www.henryford.com/Blog/2021/10/immunocompromised) or who have chronic diseases like diabetes,â says Dr. Muma. âYou can take Paxlovid if youâre overweight. You can take it if you have high blood pressure, substance abuse issues, if youâre a smoker or if you have disabilities. Hospitalization with [COVID-19](https://www.henryford.com/Blog/2022/11/how-to-reduce-your-risk-of-getting-covid-without-skipping-the-holidays) doesnât usually occur until around day eight and you have to decide whether to take Paxlovid by day five. But if you are a high-risk individualâif you qualify to take PaxlovidâI recommend you take it to prevent a serious outcome.â
That said, [Paxlovid has several drug interactions](https://www.covid19treatmentguidelines.nih.gov/therapies/antivirals-including-antibody-products/ritonavir-boosted-nirmatrelvir--paxlovid-/paxlovid-drug-drug-interactions/), so if youâre on a medication thatâs incompatible with Paxlovid, you may not be able to take it. âTalk to your doctor,â says Dr. Muma. âIf youâre not on a life-sustaining drug, it may be possible to adjust or stop the medication for eight to ten days while youâre taking Paxlovid.â
The most common Paxlovid side effects include an upset stomach and altered sense of taste. âA mild case of rebound COVID also occurs in about 5% to 6% of people, which is when you experience COVID-19 symptoms around three days after your last dose of Paxlovid,â says Dr. Muma. âYouâre not at risk of severe disease, you just have a bit of prolonged illness.â
## 2\. Lagevrio (Molnupiravir)
This is an alternative oral medication for those who canât take Paxlovid. âIt is better tolerated and there are fewer drug interactions, but itâs also way less effectiveâitâs about 30% effective in reducing hospitalization or death due to COVID-19,â says Dr. Muma. It must be taken within five days of the onset of symptoms and should be taken twice daily for five days. The [FDA has also issued an emergency use authorization for its use](https://www.fda.gov/media/155054/download) in ages 18+.
## 3\. Veklury (Remdesivir)
This IV treatment has been one of the primary inpatient COVID-19 treatments for a while, but it is now also FDA-approved for outpatient use. âItâs logistically difficult because you need an IV infusion for three days in a row, but itâs just about equally as effective as Paxlovid,â says Dr. Muma. âSo itâs really for people who cannot take Paxlovid but who need a treatment with more than a 30% efficacy rate.â It must be taken within seven days of the onset of symptomsâbut the sooner you take it, the better.
## What About Monoclonal Antibody Treatment?
Monoclonal antibody therapy works differently from antiviral drugs. Theyâre manufactured antibody proteins that attach themselves to the virus, immobilizing it and activating the immune system to clear the virus from the body. When the pandemic began, monoclonal antibody therapy was the main line of treatment. But now itâs no longer offered.
âMonoclonal antibodies are not effective against the new COVID-19 variants,â says Dr. Muma. âThat has been the challenge with monoclonal antibodiesâtrying to stay ahead of the variants. Whenever a resistant strain started to become prevalent, we had to alter the monoclonal antibody treatment for it to be effective. Weâve since made four alterations over the years and we currently donât have an option that protects against the dominant COVID-19 variant.â
Luckily, Paxlovid and Veklury are effective alternatives. But of course, if you are at high-risk for contracting a serious case of [COVID-19](https://www.henryford.com/Blog/2022/07/what-to-eat-when-you-have-covid), talk to your doctor to see which of the available treatments would be best for you.
And although we have effective treatments, itâs still recommended to get the first line of defense: [the bivalent COVID-19 booster](https://www.henryford.com/Blog). âWe strongly encourage everyone to get vaccinated,â says Dr. Muma. âThe new booster is effective against both the original strain of COVID-19 and the Omicron variants and can help decrease the severity of illness, should you contract COVID-19.â
***
***Learn more about [COVID-19 treatments](https://www.henryford.com/Coronavirus) offered at Henry Ford Health.***
*[Bruce Muma, M.D.](https://www.henryford.com/Physician-Directory/M/Muma-Bruce), is an internal medicine physician at Henry Ford Health. He is the CEO of Henry Ford Physician Network.*
Categories : [FeelWell](https://www.henryford.com/Blog/Categories/FeelWell "FeelWell")
Tags : [Coronavirus](https://www.henryford.com/Blog/Tags/Coronavirus "Coronavirus"), [COVID vaccine](https://www.henryford.com/Blog/Tags/COVID-vaccine "COVID vaccine"), [Bruce Muma](https://www.henryford.com/Blog/Tags/Bruce-Muma "Bruce Muma")
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| Readable Markdown | Posted on December 27, 2022 by
11475
COVID-19 will likely never go away, but the good news is there are a few outpatient treatments (along with effective vaccines) that can help prevent serious illness. âThese treatments are all antiviral drugs, meaning they prevent the virus from replicating in the cells,â says [Bruce Muma, M.D.](https://www.henryford.com/Physician-Directory/M/Muma-Bruce), an internal medicine physician at Henry Ford Health. âIn order to work, they must be taken in the early stage of illness, before someone requires hospitalization.â
Here, Dr. Muma shares the outpatient treatments to know aboutâand who should take them.
## 1\. Paxlovid (Nirmatrelvir/Ritonavir)
This oral antiviral pill must be taken within five days of the onset of COVID-19 symptoms. It should be taken twice daily for five days. âPaxlovid is the preferred outpatient treatment,â says Dr. Muma. âIt is 88% effective in reducing the risk of hospitalization or death.â The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued an emergency use authorization for its use in ages 12+ who have underlying medical conditionsâand [the underlying medical conditions listed](https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/clinical-care/underlyingconditions.html) are quite broad.
âPaxlovid isnât only authorized for people who are [immunocompromised](https://www.henryford.com/Blog/2021/10/immunocompromised) or who have chronic diseases like diabetes,â says Dr. Muma. âYou can take Paxlovid if youâre overweight. You can take it if you have high blood pressure, substance abuse issues, if youâre a smoker or if you have disabilities. Hospitalization with [COVID-19](https://www.henryford.com/Blog/2022/11/how-to-reduce-your-risk-of-getting-covid-without-skipping-the-holidays) doesnât usually occur until around day eight and you have to decide whether to take Paxlovid by day five. But if you are a high-risk individualâif you qualify to take PaxlovidâI recommend you take it to prevent a serious outcome.â
That said, [Paxlovid has several drug interactions](https://www.covid19treatmentguidelines.nih.gov/therapies/antivirals-including-antibody-products/ritonavir-boosted-nirmatrelvir--paxlovid-/paxlovid-drug-drug-interactions/), so if youâre on a medication thatâs incompatible with Paxlovid, you may not be able to take it. âTalk to your doctor,â says Dr. Muma. âIf youâre not on a life-sustaining drug, it may be possible to adjust or stop the medication for eight to ten days while youâre taking Paxlovid.â
The most common Paxlovid side effects include an upset stomach and altered sense of taste. âA mild case of rebound COVID also occurs in about 5% to 6% of people, which is when you experience COVID-19 symptoms around three days after your last dose of Paxlovid,â says Dr. Muma. âYouâre not at risk of severe disease, you just have a bit of prolonged illness.â
## 2\. Lagevrio (Molnupiravir)
This is an alternative oral medication for those who canât take Paxlovid. âIt is better tolerated and there are fewer drug interactions, but itâs also way less effectiveâitâs about 30% effective in reducing hospitalization or death due to COVID-19,â says Dr. Muma. It must be taken within five days of the onset of symptoms and should be taken twice daily for five days. The [FDA has also issued an emergency use authorization for its use](https://www.fda.gov/media/155054/download) in ages 18+.
## 3\. Veklury (Remdesivir)
This IV treatment has been one of the primary inpatient COVID-19 treatments for a while, but it is now also FDA-approved for outpatient use. âItâs logistically difficult because you need an IV infusion for three days in a row, but itâs just about equally as effective as Paxlovid,â says Dr. Muma. âSo itâs really for people who cannot take Paxlovid but who need a treatment with more than a 30% efficacy rate.â It must be taken within seven days of the onset of symptomsâbut the sooner you take it, the better.
## What About Monoclonal Antibody Treatment?
Monoclonal antibody therapy works differently from antiviral drugs. Theyâre manufactured antibody proteins that attach themselves to the virus, immobilizing it and activating the immune system to clear the virus from the body. When the pandemic began, monoclonal antibody therapy was the main line of treatment. But now itâs no longer offered.
âMonoclonal antibodies are not effective against the new COVID-19 variants,â says Dr. Muma. âThat has been the challenge with monoclonal antibodiesâtrying to stay ahead of the variants. Whenever a resistant strain started to become prevalent, we had to alter the monoclonal antibody treatment for it to be effective. Weâve since made four alterations over the years and we currently donât have an option that protects against the dominant COVID-19 variant.â
Luckily, Paxlovid and Veklury are effective alternatives. But of course, if you are at high-risk for contracting a serious case of [COVID-19](https://www.henryford.com/Blog/2022/07/what-to-eat-when-you-have-covid), talk to your doctor to see which of the available treatments would be best for you.
And although we have effective treatments, itâs still recommended to get the first line of defense: [the bivalent COVID-19 booster](https://www.henryford.com/Blog). âWe strongly encourage everyone to get vaccinated,â says Dr. Muma. âThe new booster is effective against both the original strain of COVID-19 and the Omicron variants and can help decrease the severity of illness, should you contract COVID-19.â
***
***Learn more about [COVID-19 treatments](https://www.henryford.com/Coronavirus) offered at Henry Ford Health.***
*[Bruce Muma, M.D.](https://www.henryford.com/Physician-Directory/M/Muma-Bruce), is an internal medicine physician at Henry Ford Health. He is the CEO of Henry Ford Physician Network.* |
| Shard | 28 (laksa) |
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