Monoclonal Antibodies For High-Risk COVID-19 Positive Patients - combatCOVID - Hhs.gov

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1 of 9 12/2/21, 10:40 AM
If you’ve tested positive for COVID-19, one of the first questions you may have is, What can I
do to reduce the risk of getting sicker? The good news is, there are treatments that may
reduce that risk. Depending on your age, health history, and how long you’ve had symptoms
of COVID-19, you may qualify for a promising form of treatment for the disease. It’s called
monoclonal antibody (mAb) treatment.
Some early evidence suggests that mAb treatment can reduce the amount of the SARS-
CoV-2 virus (the virus that causes COVID-19) in a person's system. This amount is known as
viral load. Having a lower viral load means you may have milder symptoms thereby
decreasing the likelihood of you needing to stay in the hospital.
mAb treatment may help people who:
• Have a positive COVID-19 test, and had symptoms for 10 days or less
• Are at high risk of getting more serious symptoms
Visit the page How Do I Know If I’m High Risk, and What Do I Do Next? to learn more.
This page describes what mAbs are, how they can prevent mild to moderate symptoms from
getting worse, and what to expect if you get mAb treatment.
Find infusion locations
Have symptoms, but no healthcare provider? Call the Combat COVID Monoclonal Antibodies
Call Center at 1-877-332-6585.
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If you don’t qualify for mAb treatment, you still

Join a
have options. There are clinical trials for people treatment
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like you.
3 of 9 12/2/21, 10:40 AM
Monoclonal Antibody Therapy for COVID-19: What Is It and How Does …
WHAT IS A MONOCLONAL ANTIBODY?

Your body naturally makes antibodies to fight infection. However, your body may not
have antibodies designed to recognize a novel (or new) virus like SARS-CoV-2, the virus
that causes 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 patients
directly with an infusion. That’s why mAb treatment may help patients who are at high
risk for serious symptoms or having to stay in the hospital.
mAb treatment for COVID-19 is different from a COVID-19 vaccine. A vaccine triggers
your body’s natural immune response, but can take weeks to develop enough antibodies
and prevent some kinds of infection. Some vaccines for COVID-19 require two shots, so
your body can develop its own immune response to the disease. But if you already have
the virus, mAb treatment gives your body the antibodies it needs to protect itself.
How Can I Get Monoclonal Antibodies?
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People who have had symptoms for 10 days or less should be referred for
treatment by their healthcare providers and directed to available infusion
locations. If you do not have a healthcare provider, call the Combat COVID
Monoclonal Antibodies Call Center at 1-877-332-6585 to find out who to talk with
about your symptoms and treatment.
There is no cost to anyone for the antibodies themselves, but there may be
treatment fees. If you do not have insurance, ask the facility if there will be a
charge.
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WHAT IF I DON’T QUALIFY FOR MONOCLONAL

ANTIBODY TREATMENT?
Your healthcare provider may decide you don’t qualify for mAb treatment. There could be
several reasons for this. You may not meet all of the eligibility criteria, or you may have an
underlying health condition that disqualifies you for mAb treatment.
Whatever the reason is, don’t give up. There could be another option. You may be able to join
a clinical trial for COVID-19.
Participants in these clinical trials may receive new drugs or other treatments, so
researchers can evaluate how well the treatments work. Thousands of participants in clinical
trials have helped with the discovery of new treatments for COVID-19, and many more
participants are needed to make sure that treatments work for people across age, gender,
race, and ethnicity.
Ask your healthcare provider if you may be eligible for a clinical trial for treating COVID-19.
To learn more about clinical trials, visit our page, You Can Help Combat COVID, or call
877-414-8106.
Call 877-414-8106 You can help combat COVID-19
WHAT CAN I EXPECT FROM TREATMENT

(INFUSION)?
mAb treatment happens at an infusion center because the treatment is given through
an intravenous (IV) infusion. Depending on the mAb treatment you receive, the whole
process takes about 2 to 3 hours. First, medical staff conduct a screening; then they
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start an IV, which delivers the mAbs to your body in just over an hour. Afterward, the
medical staff will have you stay at the infusion center for another hour to be sure you
aren’t having an allergic reaction or other side effects. These reactions are rare, but the
staff must observe you for this hour. Then you’ll be released to go home.
It’s important to know that even if you start feeling better, you could still spread the
virus for a while. So, you’ll need to isolate yourself (be alone) until all of these things
happen:
1. At least 10 days have passed since your first symptoms of COVID-19
2. You haven’t had a fever in at least 24 hours, without taking any medicine
that reduces fever
3. Your other symptoms of COVID-19 are improving
IMPORTANT: Follow your healthcare provider’s instructions. Your personal health

history may require you to meet additional conditions. Also, if you start to feel worse,
don’t hesitate to seek medical care.
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CAN ANTIBODY TREATMENT MAKE ME SICK?

Antibody treatments don’t contain any live SARS-CoV-2, so there’s no risk you’ll get
COVID-19 from mAb treatment. However, antibody treatment may have side effects:
• Allergic reactions can happen during and after an antibody infusion. Tell
your healthcare provider right away if you get any of the following signs and
symptoms of allergic reactions: fever; chills; nausea; headache; shortness
of breath; low blood pressure; wheezing; swelling of your lips, face, or
throat; rash, including hives; itching; muscle aches; and/or dizziness.
• An infusion of any medicine may cause brief pain, bleeding, bruising of the
skin, soreness, swelling, and possible infection at the infusion site.
These are not all the possible side effects of antibody treatment. Serious and unexpected
side effects may happen. Some possible risks from antibody treatment are:
• It may interfere with your body's ability to fight off a future infection of
SARS-CoV-2.
• It may reduce your body’s immune response to a vaccine for SARS-CoV-2.
mAb treatments for COVID-19, like other treatments authorized for emergency use by the
U.S. Food and Drug Administration, are still being studied, so it's possible that we don’t know
all the risks yet. As researchers continue to study the virus and how mAb treatment affects
it, we’ll learn more about these possible risks. If you have any questions, please talk with your
healthcare provider.
Learn more about Medicare coverage of COVID-19 Download

now
treatment.
9 of 9 12/2/21, 10:40 AM

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Monoclonal Antibodies for High-Risk COVID-19 Positive Patients | com... https://combatcovid.hhs.gov/i-have-covid-19-now/monoclonal-antibodies...

An official website of the United States government

mAb Treatment Locator Top

mAb treatment may help people who:

• Are at high risk of getting more serious symptoms

Find infusion locations

Why Monoclonal Antibody COVID Therapies Have Not Lived Up to Expectations

Where Are We in the Quest for Coronavirus Treatments?

Researchers fear people of color may be disproportionately affected by long Covid

Monoclonal Antibodies Can Cut Risk Of Hospitalization, Death By 70% In COVID-19

If you don’t qualify for mAb treatment, you still

mAb Treatment Locator Top

Monoclonal Antibody Therapy for COVID-19: What Is It and How Does …

WHAT IS A MONOCLONAL ANTIBODY?

How Can I Get Monoclonal Antibodies?

mAb Treatment Locator Top

Find infusion locations

mAb Treatment Locator Top

WHAT IF I DON’T QUALIFY FOR MONOCLONAL

Call 877-414-8106 You can help combat COVID-19

WHAT CAN I EXPECT FROM TREATMENT

1. At least 10 days have passed since your first symptoms of COVID-19

3. Your other symptoms of COVID-19 are improving

IMPORTANT: Follow your healthcare provider’s instructions. Your personal health

Find infusion locations

mAb Treatment Locator Top

mAb Treatment Locator Top

CAN ANTIBODY TREATMENT MAKE ME SICK?

• It may reduce your body’s immune response to a vaccine for SARS-CoV-2.

Learn more about Medicare coverage of COVID-19 Download

mAb Treatment Locator Top

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