While stopping the spread of COVID-19 is the
goal, the reality is that every day, more people contract the disease. For this
reason, it’s important to be aware of available treatment options.
The Treating COVID-19 Campaign, which was developed
independently by the American Lung Association, with grant support from
Regeneron and GSK, is sharing some important insights into outpatient treatment
options:
- Know your risk. It’s important to know if you’re at high
risk for severe illness from COVID-19, as this can determine what treatments
are available to you. There are many factors that may put you in the “high
risk” category, including if you’re 65 and older, you smoke cigarettes, you
have a chronic lung disease, are immunocompromised, or are living with certain
medical conditions, including chronic lung disease, heart disease, diabetes and
chronic kidney disease. Individuals who are overweight or pregnant also fall in
the high-risk category. You can see a full list at Lung.org/covid-19.
- Test, and then treat, at onset of symptoms. Experiencing
symptoms that may be COVID-19? Get tested right away. If you test positive and
are high risk, speak with your healthcare provider promptly about treatment
options that may help prevent severe illness and reduce the risk of
hospitalization. Currently available treatments include antivirals or
monoclonal antibody treatments (mAbs). Your healthcare provider can help you
determine the best course of treatment for you, which needs to start as soon as
possible to help prevent possible progression of severe illness.
- Get informed. The Food and Drug Administration has
authorized certain antiviral medications and monoclonal antibodies. Antivirals
and monoclonal antibodies can help your immune system fight off the coronavirus
infection, with a goal of preventing you from becoming seriously ill.
Antivirals target certain parts of the virus to stop it from replicating, while
monoclonal antibodies help the immune system better recognize and stop the
infection. In both cases, medications need to be prescribed by a healthcare
provider and started as soon as possible after diagnosis to be effective.
- Be your own advocate. Many patients have discovered firsthand
that persistence can be necessary when it comes to getting treatment for
COVID-19. When Jill Hein’s 83-year-old father tested positive, his primary care
provider told him he wasn’t very sick and to go home and call if he got any
sicker.
“When this information was relayed back to me, I objected
and asked that Dad follow up with his pulmonologist immediately. He didn’t want
to, insisting that his primary care provider said he was doing okay. It wasn’t
until I told Mom, ‘This can kill him,’ that I got through to them and she
called his pulmonologist for a second opinion. Within four hours of having the
infusion, Dad felt himself getting better. Over the next couple days, he
continued to improve at home. Thankfully, he fully recovered,” says Hein.
For more information about treatment options, as well as
COVID-19 care tips, visit lung.org/treating-covid.
With people taking fewer precautions as COVID-19
restrictions are lifted, the virus is spreading at a high rate. The good news
is that there are treatments available for the most vulnerable among us to help
avoid severe illness and hospitalization.
(StatePoint)
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