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  5. COVID-19 Treatment
  6. Monoclonal Antibodies

Monoclonal Antibodies

If you are at risk for serious illness from COVID-19 and just tested positive, you should discuss treatment options with your healthcare provider, including monoclonal antibody treatment.

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Ushanda has asthma, so when she tested positive for COVID-19 her doctor recommended she be treated right away to help prevent severe illness that could land her in the hospital.

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At first, I felt tired and had the sniffles. I had a sore throat and body aches. I tested positive for Because I have asthma, it was recommended I get treated right away so hopefully my symptoms wouldn’t get bad to have to go to the hospital. My doctor encouraged me to receive monoclonal antibody treatment. I had an appointment a couple days later at a clinic near my home. On the day of the treatment, I signed in through my phone. It’s like an infectious disease center – the nurses come in all gowned up. They took my vitals, sat me down and put the IV in. It didn’t hurt. I sat in a comfy chair and watched tv. It took about an hour and then I stayed longer for monitoring. You need reinforcements when you get sick. It’s not just orange juice and vitamin C. You might think you just have a cold, but you still need to get tested for COVID-19. Anyone who is at higher risk of getting really sick from COVID-19, like me with my asthma, should talk to their doctor about possible treatment options.

What to Expect

The treatment is given as an IV infusion, or an injection in the arm, at a doctor’s office or outpatient center. 

Monoclonal antibody treatment is not a cure for COVID-19. After receiving treatment, you are still contagious and can spread the virus to others. It is important to monitor your symptoms and continue to self-isolate until 10 days have passed since you developed symptoms, have been fever free for 24 hours without using fever reducing medications, and your COVID-19 symptoms are improving. 

Side effects may occur from mAbs treatment including rash, diarrhea, nausea, dizziness and pruritis (itchy skin). Discuss with your healthcare provider any symptoms you are experiencing after treatment.  

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Treatment options are available for high-risk individuals who test positive for COVID-19. Monoclonal antibodies are one such treatment that may result in milder symptoms, with a reduced risk of severe illness that could result in hospitalization.

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If you suspect you may have COVID-19, there are three important steps you should take. If you are experiencing symptoms, get tested for COVID-19 right away. There are many different respiratory infections, and it is important to know if you are sick with COVID-19 to receive appropriate treatment options. High-risk for severe illness means you are more likely to go from having mild-to-moderate illness to experiencing severe illness that could send you to the hospital struggling to breathe.

If you are confirmed to have COVID-19 and are high-risk for severe illness, you will want to speak to your healthcare provider about available treatment options right away. There are several treatment options available. Your healthcare provider may recommend monoclonal antibodies. Treatment is widely available across the United States. Treatments are given by injection or as an IV infusion at a treatment center.

Monoclonal antibodies are laboratory-made proteins that boost and mimic the immune system’s ability to fight off harmful pathogens such as viruses. Even if you aren’t feeling extremely sick right now, it’s important to begin monoclonal antibody treatment within ten days of when your symptoms first appear. You’ll want to continue to monitor your symptoms while you remain at home and recover from COVID-19. Be sure to tell your healthcare provider if you experience new or worsening symptoms.

Learn more at Lung.org/treating-covid.

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Who is eligible?

MAbs to treat COVID-19 are authorized for emergency use by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and are used for patients who: 

It is important to know if you are considered high-risk for severe illness from COVID-19. People may be at high-risk for hospitalizations due to COVID-19 if they are

  • 65 years or older, 
  • a current or former smoker, 
  • overweight, 
  • diagnosed with chronic lung, heart, or kidney disease, 
  • diabetic, 
  • Pregnant, or 
  • immunocompromised 

MAbs are not authorized for use by people hospitalized for COVID-19, people requiring oxygen due to COVID-19 or people who are on supplemental oxygen due to an underlying non-COVID related condition and require an increase in oxygen flow rate from baseline because of COVID-19.

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Dr. Setu Vora shares ways to help prevent COVID-19 illness and information about monoclonal antibody treatment if you are at increased risk for severe COVID-19. This campaign is funded by Regeneron and GlaxoSmithKline.

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In the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, we didn’t have the treatment options that exist today. Now that clinical trials have successfully identified treatments that work, it is important to know when to act. If you have tested positive for COVID-19, it is imperative to talk to your healthcare provider right away. There are treatments available that can reduce the risk of you getting sick enough to need to be hospitalized. These treatments, called monoclonal antibodies are can help boost your immune system and fight back against COVID-19. People who had mild-to-moderate COVID-19 and took monoclonal antibodies may be less likely to progress to severe illness and need to be hospitalized.  

If you are over the age of 65 or have a chronic lung disease you are at high risk for severe illness from COVID-19.  To benefit from these life-saving treatments, you need to:  

  • get tested right away if you have symptoms that could be COVID-19 
  • speak with your healthcare provider about available treatment options, including monoclonal antibodies, and begin the treatment recommended as soon as possible 

Seeking treatment when you are currently feeling mildly ill may not be top of mind. It’s important to act quickly to reach out to your healthcare provider and consider treatment options. Together, you can determine what can be done to reduce the risk of getting sicker. 

Don’t miss your opportunity to help prevent severe illness or hospitalization from COVID-19.

Learn more at Lung.org/covid-19 

Where can I find a treatment center?

It is important to speak with your healthcare provider as soon as possible once you have tested positive for COVID-19 and if you are at high-risk for severe illness. Together, you can discuss possible treatment options and create a plan that provides you with the care you need.

Your healthcare provider may recommend a specific treatment center, or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has developed a search tool to find distribution locations and a dedicated call center (1-877-332-6525) to answer questions and provide locations of therapeutic distribution centers. Be sure to speak with your healthcare provider before reaching out to a treatment center.

Your immune system makes antibodies to fight harmful germs like viruses and bacteria.  For newer viruses like SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19), your body may not have developed antibodies yet to fight off infection naturally. That is where monoclonal antibody treatment can help. MAbs give your body a boost of antibodies to help fight off SARS-CoV-2 by blocking the virus from entering cells. MAbs may help prevent severe illness, hospitalization and even death.

If you do not qualify for mAb treatment, you still have options. Speak with your healthcare provider if you are at high risk for severe illness and test positive.

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Page last updated: April 18, 2024

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