coronavirus

Coronavirus
Menu
 

Coronavirus Testing

Pre-registration for Public Testing

It’s best to get testing through your provider, but if you need to use public testing, you can save time in line by visiting coronavirus.dc.gov/register to create a profile from your smartphone, tablet, or computer.

COVID-19 Therapeutics

Information for Patients

Therapeutics are medications used to treat at risk groups for COVID-19 and are prescribed by healthcare providers. Please contact your health care provider to determine if you are eligible for a COVID-19 therapeutic.

Please note treatments must be started within the first few days to be effective. These therapeutics are NOT a substitute for receiving a COVID-19 vaccine. Getting vaccinated against COVID-19 can lower your risk of getting and spreading the virus that causes COVID-19 and prevent serious illness and death.

Monoclonal Antibodies

What are monoclonal antibodies?

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are laboratory-made proteins that mimic the ability of our body’s immune system to fight off harmful pathogens like the virus that causes COVID-19.

The US Food and Drug Administration issued Emergency Use Authorizations (EUAs) for mAbs to:

  1. Provide pre-exposure prevention for those with moderate to severely compromised immune systems or a history of severe adverse reaction to a COVID-19 vaccine and/or components of the vaccine.
  2. Treat patients with COVID-19
     

Can I receive monoclonal antibody treatments?

To be eligible, you must meet the criteria identified in the EUA (See Table 1) and receive a prescription or treatment referral from a healthcare provider.

COVID-19 monoclonal antibody treatments are available both for adult and pediatric patients. Contact your provider to determine the best treatments for you.

If you think you are a candidate for mAbs, please call your health care provider to discuss your eligibility and the current availability of mAbs as soon as possible. Treatment must be started within the first few days to be effective.

Treatment Factors

mAb for Pre-exposure Prevention

mAb for Treatment

COVID-19 Test Result

Negative (Treatment specific to immunocompromised populations)

Positive

Symptoms/Immune Response

No symptoms/Not infected with COVID-19

Cough, runny nose, within ten (10) days of symptom onset and hospitalized patients  

Other Factors

Moderate to severely compromised immune system, or history of severe adverse reaction to a COVID-19 vaccine and/or component (more information)

Several medical conditions* that can lead to severe COVID-19

* Individuals that are at higher risk for progression from mild/moderate to severe COVID-19 may have the following medical conditions:

  • Older age (age ≥65 years of age)
  • Obesity or being overweight (BMI >25 kg/m2)
  • Pregnancy
  • Chronic kidney disease
  • Diabetes
  • Immunosuppressive disease or immunosuppressive treatment
  • Cardiovascular disease including congenital heart disease or hypertension
  • Chronic lung diseases or moderate-to-severe asthma
  • Sickle cell disease
  • Neurodevelopmental disorders or other conditions that confer medical complexity
  • Having a medical-related technological dependence

Where can I receive monoclonal antibody treatment? 
There are several places within the District of Columbia that offer monoclonal antibody treatments. You will need a treatment referral from a health care provider to set up an appointment. If you have any questions about the treatment, please ask your provider.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has developed a public-facing COVID-19 therapeutics locator displaying public locations that have received shipments COVID-19 therapeutics

This locator tool can be found at: https://covid-19-therapeutics-locator-dhhs.hub.arcgis.com/

These therapies require a prescription by a licensed and authorized provider. The therapeutics locator is intended for provider use. Patients should not contact locations directly unless instructed to do so by their healthcare provider.

Antiviral Drugs

What are antiviral drugs?
Antiviral drugs inhibit or reduce the ability of the virus to replicate in your body, which can lessen the severity of the disease. Currently, Remdesivir (Veklury®) is an approved injection that is used to treat only hospitalized patients. There are also antiviral drugs in a pill form that can treat non-hospitalized patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 symptoms with the risk of progressing to severe disease.

What oral medications are available for the treatment of COVID-19 illness?
For persons with COVID-19 who are not hospitalized but are at high risk of severe illness, treatments for COVID-19 are available on a limited basis.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given two oral COVID-19 antiviral medications Emergency Use Authorization (EUA): Paxlovid (Pfizer) and Molnupiravir (Merck).

Are these medications effective?
According to information provided by the manufacturers, Paxlovid (Pfizer) reduces the risk of hospitalization or death from COVID-19 by 89% and Molnupiravir (Merck) reduces the risk of hospitalization or death from COVID-19 by 30%.

How are these medications taken?
These medications are available as pills. Treatment must be started within the first 5 days of illness.

Do I have to have a positive COVID-19 test to take these medications?
Persons must have a positive test result for COVID-19 to be eligible to receive these medications.

Within the District, testing locations can be found on the DC Health coronavirus website at coronavirus.dc.gov/testing.

Can I take one of these oral antiviral COVID-19 treatments?

Treatment courses of these medications are available to prescribers in Washington, DC.

Due to the limited supply of treatment courses available; the medications will be restricted to use by people who have the highest likelihood to become severely ill from COVID-19. Patients are eligible for these medications if they:

  • Have positive tests for the COVID-19 virus (SARS-CoV-2),
  • Are not hospitalized,
  • Have mild to moderate illness,
  • Have had symptoms for five days or less, and
  • Are at high risk to develop severe COVID-19 because of:

How and where can I get obtain these medications?
To obtain these medications, you must have a prescription for them from a medical provider licensed to prescribe drugs in the District of Columbia. Please bring your insurance card. The medications themselves are available at no cost. These prescriptions can be filled at:

1) Select pharmacies in Washington, DC including retail pharmacies and healthcare facility outpatient pharmacy locations. Pharmacies may charge a fee to dispense them, but this fee should be covered by health insurance.

Retail Pharmacy locations:

Store Name

Address

Phone Number

Giant Pharmacy #378

1345 Park Road, NW, Washington DC, 20010

(202) 777-1078

Giant Pharmacy #384

1535 Alabama Ave, SE, Washington DC, 20032

(202) 610-6450

Safeway #1276

6500 Piney Branch Rd, NW, Washington DC, 20012

(202) 723-5612

Safeway #1445

2845 Alabama Ave SE, Washington DC, 20020

(202) 575-7527

Safeway #2737

490 L Street, NW, Washington DC, 20001

(202) 719-2439

Safeway #2808

3830 Georgia Ave, NW, Washington DC, 20011

(202) 722-4067

Safeway #2892

1100 4th Street, SW, Suite 150, Washington DC, 20024

(202) 719-2500

Safeway #2912

1855 Wisconsin Ave, NW, Washington DC, 20007

(202) 333-6048

Safeway #3217

415 14th Street SE, Washington DC, 20003

(202) 920-5875

Safeway #4202

1747 Columbia Road, NW, Washington DC, 20009

(202) 667-2080

Safeway #4270

1601 Maryland Ave., NE, Washington DC, 20002

(202) 398-6900

Safeway #4832

5545 Connecticut Ave, NW, Washington DC, 20015

(202) 364-0320

 

Healthcare facility outpatient pharmacy locations:

Healthcare Facility Name Address
The GW Medical Faculty Associates 2150 Pennsylvania Ave, NW, Ste 6A-403 Washington DC, 20037
Kaiser Permanente Capitol Hill 700 2nd Street, NE, Washington DC 20002
Kaiser Permanente Northwest 2301 M Street NW,
Suite 200,
Washington DC, 20037
MedStar Pharmacy at Georgetown University Hospital 3800 Reservoir Rd, NW, Washington DC, 20070
MedStar Pharmacy at Washington Hospital Center 106 Irving Street, NW, Suite 1200,
Washington DC, 20010

2)  Test to Treat program

The test to treat program is an additional pathway for fast access to lifesaving COVID-19 treatments and can be found online. A web-based site locator is now available to make it easier to find Test to Treat locations.

Those who may have difficulty accessing the internet or need additional support locating a Test to Treat site can call 1(800) 232-0233 (TTY 1(888) 720-7489) to get help in English, Spanish, and more than 150 other languages – 8 am to midnight ET, 7 days a week. The Disability Information and Access Line (DIAL) is also available to specifically help people with disabilities access services. To get help, call 1(888) 677-1199, Monday-Friday from 9 am to 8 pm ET or email [email protected].

Where can I find more information on COVID Therapeutics?
More information on these medications is available at these links: