Treatments for coronavirus (COVID-19)
Getting your coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination remains the best way to protect yourself from the virus.
Treatments
There are now additional treatments available for selected groups of people with coronavirus who are thought to be at greater risk of being admitted to hospital and possible serious COVID-19 illness or death.
These additional treatments need to be given quickly after you get a positive PCR test result to be most effective.
COVID-19 treatments will be available to the following groups of people this winter:
- groups of people thought to be at the highest risk from COVID-19 infection
- those taking part in a national study called PANORAMIC
Groups of people at the highest risk
The Health and Social Care (HSC) Service is now offering new antibody and antiviral treatments to people with COVID-19, in the community, who are at highest risk of becoming seriously ill.
Two types of COVID-19 treatment are available:
- neutralising monoclonal antibodies (nMAB) – a biological medicine
- molnupiravir (Lagevrio) - an antiviral medicine
These treatments can help some people manage their COVID-19 symptoms and reduce the risk of becoming seriously ill.
Who can have these new COVID-19 treatments
The new nMAB treatments are for people aged 12 and over and oral antivirals for people aged 18 and over, who have tested positive, using a PCR test, for COVID-19 and are at highest risk of getting seriously ill.
This includes some people who have:
- Down's syndrome
- a rare condition affecting the brain or nervous system including multiple sclerosis, motor neurone disease, Huntington’s disease or myasthenia gravis
- sickle cell disease
- certain types of cancer
- HIV or AIDS
- a severe liver condition
- chronic kidney disease (CKD) stage 4 or 5
- had an organ transplant
- certain autoimmune or inflammatory conditions
- a condition or treatment that makes you more likely to get infections
- had certain types of chemotherapy in the last 12 months
- had radiotherapy in the last 6 months
A doctor or specialist will confirm if you are eligible for treatment.
A full list of conditions is available at:
The above list of health conditions has been agreed by the UK Chief Medical Officers and is based on advice from an independent advisory group of health experts commissioned by the Department of Health and Social Care.
How to get a COVID-19 treatment
Take a PCR test if you get symptoms
You should take the test as soon as possible at a test centre, even if your symptoms are mild.
Priority testing
You will also be prioritised for PCR testing during busy periods if you are in a group at highest risk of severe Covid-19 and therefore eligible for new Covid-19 treatments.
When requested on the PCR booking portal, select you are in the priority group option.
You can arrange a test through the PCR test booking system if you have any of the main symptoms of COVID-19 (a high temperature, a new continuous cough or a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste).
When booking your test, it's important to enter all the requested information correctly, including your postcode and if known, your Health and Care number. This will help the Health Service to contact you about treatment if you are eligible and if you test positive.
Testing positive for COVID-19 if you are at highest risk
If you are eligible for treatment because you have a condition that put you at highest risk from COVID-19 infection and you have tested positive, using a PCR test, for COVID-19, it is important to start the treatment within the recommended time period.
These therapies are only available to those at highest risk from COVID-19 with very specific conditions within the groups outlined above.
If you are in one of these groups and you tested positive on a lateral flow device (LFD) test, it is important to register your positive LFD result online.
You must include a phone number.
You will also need to get a confirmatory PCR test as soon as possible.
The quickest way to get a PCR test is by visiting a test centre.
- how to book a test
- Information on PCR testing or you can ring 119.
As well as receiving a message about your positive PCR test result, if eligible, you will receive a further message informing you that your local Trust will be in touch.
Your local Trust will review information in your medical records and if you are suitable for such a treatment, will be in contact to discuss this further. This may be from an unknown or withheld number.
If you don’t hear from your local Trust within a couple of days you can ask your GP practice to contact the Trust on your behalf.
If you test positive for COVID-19 and do not receive any text message about treatment, but feel you are eligible, you can contact your GP practice to discuss this.
It is important that you carefully review the information on eligibility before making contact with your GP practice.
More detailed guidance about patient groups from highest risk of COVID-19 can be found in in appendix one and two of the Interim Clinical Commissioning Policy.
If you have not tested positive for COVID-19 using a PCR test, you are not eligible for these treatments.
HSC treatments for COVID-19 are free of charge and you will never be asked for your bank account or card details, or asked to pay for treatment.
Which treatment you will have
Your local HSC Trust will advise which treatment, if any, is suitable for you once you have been reviewed by a doctor.
nMABs are usually given to you through a drip in your arm (infusion) and will be given at a hospital site. Once you have been reviewed by a doctor, you will receive instructions on where and a suitable time to get the treatment as well as advice on how to safely get to the hospital as you are COVID-19 positive.
If you are given an antiviral, it comes as capsules you swallow and they can be taken at home. Your local HSC Trust will advise how this medication will be made available to you.
Treatment will be on the advice of a clinician and will be either:
- nMAB treatment Sotrovimab
- molnupiravir (Lagevrio)
In addition to the higher risk patient group treatments, a national study called Panoramic has commenced.
PANORAMIC clinical trial
Antiviral medicines such as molnupiravir are also available through a national trial, which is run by the University of Oxford.
The trial is open to people in the UK who have all three of the following:
- have tested positive for COVID-19 using a PCR test
- have COVID-19 symptoms that started within the last five days
- are aged 50 and over, or are aged 18 and over with a health condition that puts them at higher risk of getting seriously ill from COVID-19
The study will test whether these new oral antiviral treatments can help higher-risk people in the early stages of the coronavirus illness recover faster and therefore reduce the number of people admitted to hospital.
Half of the participants will receive antivirals and half will not as happens in most trials related to new treatments. This is so the study team can see any difference in the health of those who received the antiviral treatment compared to those who did not.
All participants take part from their own homes, without needing to visit a clinic or hospital. The oral treatment will be delivered directly to their home by the trial team. All participants will still be able to access any health care that they would normally expect to receive.
If you take part in the study, you'll need to complete a daily diary for 28 days. In some areas, you may instead receive a phone call from the trial team on days seven, 14, and 28 to speak about your symptoms while you are in the trial.
Find out more about the University of Oxford COVID-19 antiviral trial on the Panoramic trial Panoramic trial website.