Olmsted County medical partners review approved COVID-19 treatments

Community transmission of COVID-19 remains high in Olmsted County. Olmsted County Public Health Services (OCPHS), Mayo Clinic, and Olmsted Medical Center want to remind the public what treatments are approved for COVID-19.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved one drug, remdesivir (Veklury), to treat COVID-19. The FDA can also issue emergency use authorizations to allow health care providers to use products that are not yet approved to treat patients with COVID-19.

Guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states the following can be used to relieve symptoms and can help support your body’s natural defenses for treatment outside of the hospital:

  • Taking medications, like acetaminophen or ibuprofen, to reduce fever.
  • Drinking water or receiving intravenous fluids to stay hydrated.
  • Getting plenty of rest to help the body fight the virus.

Some individuals are more likely to get very sick from COVID-19. Their health care providers might recommend that they receive investigational treatment. The FDA has issued Emergency Use Authorization (EUAs) for several investigational monoclonal antibody treatments. Health care providers will decide whether an investigational treatment is appropriate to treat COVID-19. 

Health care providers may also use other treatments while caring for COVID-19 patients in the hospital:

  • Antiviral medications to reduce the ability of the virus to multiply and spread through the body.
  • Authorized treatments to help reduce overactive immune responses in an individual.
  • Approved treatments for severely ill COVID-19 patients, such as blood thinners. 

People have seriously harmed themselves and have even died after taking products not approved for COVID-19. These unapproved drugs include hydroxychloroquine, chloroquine phosphate and ivermectin.

OCPHS continues to follow CDC and Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) guidance for those sick, or think they might be sick, with COVID-19. If you believe you are sick with COVID-19, please get tested right away and stay home unless you require medical attention. Other steps to take include separating from others, wearing a mask if over the age of two, frequently washing hands, and physical distancing when possible.

The best way to avoid getting sick at all is the vaccine. It is highly effective against COVID-19 and dramatically reduces hospitalizations and death. Vaccines are widely available through medical providers and pharmacies. Individuals 12 and older can find vaccine availability at https://mn.gov/covid19/vaccine/find-vaccine/locations/index.jsp.