Medications & Treatments

What are COVID-19 medications?

Healthcare providers: Please visit our Medical Professionals page.

Most people with COVID-19 have mild illness and can recover at home. Even so, there are some things you should do: notify your doctor, monitor your symptoms, and know when you need emergency medical care.

COVID-19 medications are safe and effective at stopping COVID-19 illness from getting serious. By stopping the virus from multiplying, they can lower the risk of serious illness, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19 by half or more. COVID-19 medications may also lower the risk of long COVID symptoms and may help you test negative sooner. Early evidence suggests that the COVID-19 medication Paxlovid may lower the risk of developing long COVID symptoms. These symptoms can last for weeks, months, or years after a COVID-19 infection.

Most COVID-19 medications are pills that you can take at home. The medications are currently available for free, regardless of insurance or citizenship status.

When should COVID-19 medications be taken?

If you feel sick, take a COVID-19 test as soon as possible. At-home test results are okay.

• U.S. households can order 4 free at-home COVID-19 tests. Order free tests.
• You can also sign up for the National Home Test to Treat Program, which offers free COVID-19 at-home tests and telehealth care. Learn more.
• Click here for more information on how to get tested.

If you test positive for COVID-19, ask about COVID-19 medication right away. Do not wait for symptoms to get worse. Stay home and isolate to prevent spreading the disease to others. Even if you are vaccinated or have had COVID-19 before, you should follow the current COVID-19 isolation recommendations.

If your test is negative but you continue to have symptoms, test again 24-48 hours later. Low amounts of virus early in infection can be missed, and you can test positive a few days later.

If you have severe COVID-19 symptoms including trouble breathing, chest pain, confusion, or trouble staying awake, go to the emergency room or call 911 right away.

Who should take COVID-19 medication?

COVID-19 medications are recommended for most adults and some teens. Everyone 12 years and older who has symptoms and tests positive for COVID-19 should seek evaluation for COVID-19 medication. A doctor will help decide which medication, if any, is right for you.

You may be able to get COVID-19 medications if:

• You are 50 years old or older –OR–
• You are unvaccinated or not up-to-date with COVID-19 vaccinations –OR–
• You have a health condition or other factors that increase risk. These include obesity, asthma, diabetes, lack of physical activity, smoking, mental health conditions such as depression, being of a racial/ethnic minority, and more. Learn more about factors that increase the risk of serious illness from COVID-19. Click here for more information on mental health and mood conditions.

How to find treatment

Act quickly. COVID-19 medications work best when started within the first 5-7 days of symptoms. Medications are free regardless of insurance or citizenship status, but you must get a prescription. Options for getting a prescription for COVID-19 medication include:

• Contact your doctor, urgent care center, or insurance provider for an appointment. Video or phone appointments will work.
• Call the statewide COVID-19 hotline at 833-422-4255.
• Find a Test-to-Treat location near you. These sites can provide COVID-19 tests and also prescribe COVID-19 medications. To find a site use the COVID-19 Test to Treat Locator.
• Some pharmacies may be able to give you a prescription for treatment. Call your pharmacy to see if they offer this service.

If you don’t have insurance or the options above don’t work:

Click here or call 833-686-5051 to make a free phone or video appointment through California’s COVID-19 telehealth service.

Note: If you are not able to get a prescription from your doctor, but think you should be eligible for treatment, click here or call 833-686-5051 to make a phone or video appointment with California’s free COVID-19 telehealth provider. You can also show your doctor CDPH’s recommendations on treatment.

Emergency Use Authorization

In an emergency when lives are at risk, the FDA can issue an EUA to make a treatment available before it has completed a formal approval process as long as there’s evidence that strongly suggests that people benefit from the treatment. The FDA can also issue an EUA for unapproved uses of approved drugs for life-threatening conditions. Certain conditions must be met for an EUA to be issued, including that there are no other adequate, approved, and available options.

To learn more about EUAs, visit the FDA EUA webpage.