There are a variety of options for COVID therapy approved under Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) to reduce the risk of severe disease and death among Nevadans. The therapy includes pre-exposure medications for residents who may be immunocompromised and needing another layer of protection. Other therapeutics may include antivirals to reduce the ability of the virus to replicate once you are infected or monoclonal antibody treatment to limit the amount of virus in your body. These therapeutics are not a substitute for vaccination, so if you have not been fully vaccinated, please call 1-800-401-0946 to schedule a vaccination.
For a side-by-side comparison of therapies, visit: https://www.phe.gov/emergency/events/COVID19/therapeutics/Pages/Side-by-Side-Overview-of-mAbs-Treatment.aspx or Side-by-Side Overview of Therapies Authorized for the Treatment of Mild-Moderate COVID-19 (phe.gov).
People who are considered at high risk may develop more serious symptoms of COVID-19. Serious symptoms may cause a person with COVID-19 to go to the hospital, be admitted into intensive care, need help breathing, and have a greater risk of death. Being at high risk depends on your health history and how long you have had COVID-19 symptoms. More information can be found here: Who is at High Risk for Serious COVID-19? | combatCOVID.hhs.gov
The National Institute of Health (NIH) COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines have been developed to provide clinicians with guidance on how to care for patients with COVID-19. Because clinical information about the optimal management of COVID-19 is evolving quickly, these guidelines will be updated frequently as published data and other authoritative information become available. Details on the treatment guidelines: Therapies | COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines (nih.gov) to include recommended treatment options for specific patients: Therapies for High-Risk, Non-Hospitalized Patients with Mild to Moderate COVID-19.
The State of Nevada has devoted over $19 million to support therapeutic services to Nevadans. This funding allows for services to be provided to Nevadans free of charge in a variety of modalities including fixed site clinics, mobile or home-health services, and telehealth visits for oral antivirals. This project also is intended to be agile and address the need of residents by geography and demography and change models based on the types and availability of therapies. Currently, the free therapies available include: Evusheld, Sotrovimab, Paxlovid, Molnupiravir, and soon Bebtelovimab.
To assess which service and option might be best for you to complete the pre-screening tool found here: nevadacovidtreatment.com or call (800)-401-0946 for statewide assistance. Please note that the Northern Nevada Covid Treatment telehealth services is applicable to all Nevadans (including urban and rural counties). If you are eligible, you will be scheduled for a telehealth visit to assess if and how therapeutics may be used.
Clark County
Other Locations
There are other locations that provide therapeutics to serve Nevadans. Please note these sites may not be free to the client. They may either have their insurance charged or be required to pay for services. If services are provided in an emergency room, there may be additional testing required by law and this could incur an expense as well. The only locations for free services are noted above.
Other Locations: COVID-19 Therapeutics Locator (arcgis.com)
The Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) authority allows FDA to help strengthen the nation’s public health protections against chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) threats including infectious diseases, by facilitating the availability and use of medical countermeasures (MCMs) needed during public health emergencies.
All therapies noted below are provided through controlled allocation by federal Health and Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (HHS/ASPR). HHS/ASPR has purchased supplies of COVID-19 therapeutic products and work with state and territorial health departments as well as national healthcare and medical organizations and associations to get the treatments into the hands of healthcare providers quickly, with a focus on areas of the country hardest hit by the pandemic.
Nevada currently receives weekly allocations of certain therapies and bi-monthly allocation of others. Based on this allocation, the Nevada Board of Pharmacy, in partnership with the Division of Public and Behavioral Health, provide the allocation to free state-funded sites, hospitals, pharmacies, or other public and private partners. If medications are not being used at the site initially allocated, the inventory may be moved to other sites with greater need. For information on therapy locations in Nevada and nationwide, visit: COVID-19 Therapeutics Locator (arcgis.com).
In addition to vaccination, another preventative measure prior to COVID infection could be Evusheld.
A note about Evusheld
On February 24, 2022, the U.S Food and Drug Administration revised the emergency use authorization for AstraZeneca’s Evusheld, which will now be administered as an initial dose of 600 mg. Patients who received the previous dose of 300 mg should follow up with an additional dose of Evusheld. This change is based on newly available data that indicates a higher dose of Evusheld may be more likely to prevent infection by COVID-19 omicron subvariants. Persons who received a 300mg dose should contact their health care provider to discuss an additional dose.
Nevadans who are immunocompromised and who are at high risk for developing severe COVID-19 disease if infected should seek out both COVID-19 vaccination and preventive therapy with Evusheld. The state has made it a priority to facilitate the availability of Evusheld to increase access to individuals who may need it. Use the COVID-19 Therapeutics Online Locator to find Evusheld availability near you.
Oral antiviral therapies Paxlovid (Pfizer), and Molnupiravir (Merck) are products authorized by the FDA for the treatment of COVID-19.
Monoclonal antibodies, or mAbs, are made in a laboratory to fight a particular infection (in this case, SARS-CoV-2) and are given to you directly in an infusion. The mAb treatment can block the SARS-CoV-2 virus (the virus that causes COVID-19) from entering cells in your body and limit the amount of the virus within your body. This means you may have milder symptoms and may decrease the likelihood of you needing to stay in the hospital. The earlier the treatment is given after infection, the more effective it is, reducing risk of hospitalization by up to 70% in high-risk patients.
A mAb treatment for COVID-19 is different from a COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccine triggers your body’s natural immune response, but this can take weeks to develop enough antibodies against a virus. So if you have the virus, the mAb treatment gives your body the antibodies it needs to protect itself. The mAb treatment does not replace the need for the immunity from the vaccine but it can help you if you are at risk for developing serious COVID-19.
The mAb treatment may help people who:
More details on monoclonal antibody treatment can be viewed here: Using Monoclonal Antibodies for Prevention of COVID-19 – YouTube
In Nevada, oral anti-viral pills are available at the following retail pharmacies: CVS, WAL-GREENS, WALMART, and ALBERTSON’S, though the supply is limited due to the federal allocations. It is also available through the free state-sites noted above as well as some hospital settings. For information on therapy locations in Nevada and nationwide, visit: COVID-19 Therapeutics Locator (arcgis.com).
The PREP Act amended the Public Health Service Act (PHS Act) to add section 319F-3 (42 U.S.C. 247d-6d). The HHS Secretary has issued several Declarations pursuant to section 319F-3 of the PHS Act to provide liability immunity for activities related to medical countermeasures against COVID-19. For more information on the PREP Act, visit: https://aspr.hhs.gov/legal/PREPact/Pages/default.aspx.
If the treatments noted above are not applicable in your situation, you may be eligible to receive a different treatment or join a clinical trial for COVID-19. Participants in these clinical trials may receive new medicines or other treatments, so researchers can test how well the treatments work. Thousands of participants in clinical trials have helped with the discovery of new treatments for COVID-19. But many more participants are needed to make sure that treatments work for people of all ages, genders, races, and ethnicities. For more information on clinical trials related to COVID, visit: Join a Clinical Trial | COMBATCOVID.HHS.GOV
The FDA has not authorized or approved ivermectin for use in preventing or treating COVID-19 in humans or animals. Ivermectin is approved for human use to treat infections caused by some parasitic worms and head lice and skin conditions like rosacea. Currently available data does not show ivermectin is effective against COVID-19. Clinical trials assessing ivermectin tablets for the prevention or treatment of COVID-19 in people are ongoing.
More information can be found at: Why You Should Not Use Ivermectin to Treat or Prevent COVID-19 | FDA
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