Getting treatment for COVID-19

Last updated on February 15, 2023.

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If you have COVID-19, you may be able to get medicine to help you recover. COVID-19 medications work best if they are taken within a few days of when you first got sick. It’s important to seek treatment quickly to lower your risk of serious illness. 
   
If you have mild to moderate symptoms and your symptoms began within the past few days, call your doctor or health care provider as soon as you can to ask about getting therapeutic treatment. If you do not have a provider or health insurance, you can find a place to get medicine using CDPHE’s COVID-19 treatment map below.

 

Treatment map

    This map is updated every Wednesday. Providers on this map may or may not currently have medication available. Contact a location directly for more information. Talking with a health care provider can help you learn more about what  is right for you.

    This map only shows providers who get their supply of medication from the state or federal government. Some providers offering COVID-19 treatment may not be shown here. Contact your health care provider directly to learn more about whether they offer COVID-19 medications. 

    Orange pins = Providers offering testing, medical visits, and medication (Test to Treat)
    Purple pins     = Providers with both Paxlovid and molnupiravir
    Red pins = Providers with Paxlovid only
    Blue pins = Providers with molnupiravir only

    Getting medicine

    There are a few ways to get medication in Colorado.

    If you have a doctor or health care provider:
    1. Call your provider. Tell them you have just tested positive for COVID-19, or suspect you have COVID-19, and want to learn more about COVID-19 medicine.
    2. Your provider will ask you some questions. This will help them decide if COVID-19 medicine is right for you and what kind might be best.
    3. Your provider may recommend a specific kind of medicine. If they have it on-hand, they may ask you to come into their office to get it.
    4. If your provider does not have the kind of medication you need in their office, you can use CDPHE’s treatments map to find a nearby pharmacy or clinic location with the type of medicine your provider recommends.
    5. Tell your doctor or health care provider the name and phone number of the closest pharmacy or clinic location that has the recommended medicine.
    6. Your doctor will write you a prescription and send it to the nearby location. 
    7. Go to the location. Depending on the type of medicine, you may receive an infusion on-site or pick up pills to take at home over the next few days.
    If you don’t have a doctor or health care provider, or you can’t reach your regular provider fast enough:

    Test to Treat or telehealth can help you find medication fast, even if you don’t have a provider or insurance. These options may have out-of-pocket fees for patients without insurance. Coloradans without insurance are encouraged to apply for Health First Colorado - Colorado's Medicaid Program.

    1. Call a Test to Treat location near you. Test to Treat locations are purple pins on the treatments map. They are also listed in the spreadsheet below.
    2. Tell them you think you might have COVID-19 and are interested in using the Test to Treat program to seek testing and medication. 
    3. Go to the location and take a COVID-19 test at the clinic. (Some clinics will accept a positive test you’ve already taken at home. However, if you go to a King Soopers clinic, you must take your COVID-19 test on-site. You may bring an unopened rapid test to use at your appointment.) 
    4. If your test is positive, the provider will ask you some questions to find out if medicine is right for you and what kind you might be able to take. 
    5. If medication is right for you, the provider will write you a prescription for antiviral pills. 
    6. You will be able pick up the prescription at the same location where you got tested or a location nearby.

    Telehealth means connecting with a health care provider over the phone or through a video call. 

    1. Find a telehealth provider and make an appointment. Many insurance companies provide telehealth services for their members. Contact your insurance company to learn if telehealth services are available through your plan. If you don’t have insurance, you can find an appointment using a fee-based telehealth company. Many providers offer same-day or next-day appointments.
    2. The telehealth provider will ask you some questions to find out if medication is right for you and what kind you might be able to take.
    3. If the provider recommends medicine, they will write you a prescription and send it to a pharmacy or infusion center near you.
    4. Go to the location. Depending on the type of medicine, you may receive an infusion on-site or pick up pills to take at home over the next few days.

    On October 25, 2022 the Biden administration announced a new initiative in partnership with Walgreens, Uber Health, and Doordash to offer same-day delivery of Paxlovid free of cost to eligible patients. Contact your local Walgreens for more information.

    Learn more about getting medicine using telehealth

    Types of medicine

    There are different types of medicine that can treat or help prevent COVID-19. 

    Antiviral medications can be either pills you take by mouth or IV infusions. They target specific parts of the virus to stop it from copying itself.

    Convalescent Plasma is plasma from individuals who have recently recovered from COVID-19 infection. The plasma, or liquid part of the blood, contains antibodies against the virus. These antibodies can help neutralize or kill the virus to help you recover. It is authorized only for people who are immunosuppressed or are on immunosuppressive treatments. Research is ongoing to better understand the benefits and risks of this treatment.

    As of January 26, 2023, Evusheld, a preventative medication for COVID-19, is no longer authorized by the FDA for emergency use in the United States, as it is not expected to be effective against more than 90% of the COVID-19 variants currently circulating in the United States based on recent CDC Nowcast data.

    Medicine
    When
    Age
    Description
    For people who have a current diagnosis of mild -to -moderate COVID-19
    Paxlovid Within 5 days of when symptoms start 12 years and older An antiviral medication taken by mouth. Paxlovid is the recommended choice for many people, but it might interfere with other medications you may be taking. 
    Remdesivir Within 7 days of when symptoms start 28 days and older An antiviral medication given by an IV infusion three days in a row at a health care facility. Remdesivir is usually the best choice for people who cannot take Paxlovid.
    Legevrio Within 5 days of when symptoms start 18 years and older An alternative antiviral medication taken by mouth. Molnupiravir might be recommended for people who are unable to take either Paxlovid or Remdesivir.

    Convalescent Plasma

    		 No time frame specifie 18 years and older 
    < 18 years: Case by case decision

    An alternative treatment which could be considered for those who are immunosuppressed or on immunosuppressive medicines and cannot take other COVID-19 treatments or are not responding to the COVID-19 treatments.

    Other factors influence eligibility, and this is an abbreviated table. Find more complete guidance for prescribers. 

     

    What to expect at your appointment

    Whether you see a health care provider in person or through telehealth, your provider will ask questions to learn more about which medicine may be right for you. 

    If you go to a Test to Treat location:

    • A health care provider will either give you a COVID-19 test or may ask to see the results of a test you have already taken at home.
    • If your test is positive, the provider will ask questions to determine if medicine is right for you.
    • If medicine is right for you, the provider will write you a prescription for antiviral pills.
    • You can then ask the on-site or affiliated pharmacist to fill the prescription. Once your prescription has been filled, you can take your pills with you to begin treatment at home.

    Your provider may charge fees for the medical visit and/or the medication. If you have health insurance, you can use it to cover these fees. Coloradans who do not have insurance are encouraged to apply for Health First Colorado - Colorado's Medicaid Program.