Treatment of Respiratory Viruses
- Treatment is a core prevention strategy to lower risk from respiratory viruses.
- Core prevention strategies are important steps you can take to protect yourself and others from respiratory viruses.
Treatment
Seek health care right away for testing and/or treatment if you believe you may have a respiratory virus (if you feel sick or tested positive for one) and you have risk factors for severe illness. If you have flu or COVID-19, treatment may be an option to make your symptoms less severe and shorten the time you are sick. Treatment needs to be started within a few days of when your symptoms begin.
How it works
Treatments for COVID-19 and for flu can lessen symptoms and shorten the time you are sick. They also may reduce the risk of complications, including those that can result in hospitalization. For people with risk factors for severe illness early treatment can mean having milder illness.
Steps you can take
Individuals can
- Know the treatment options for flu and COVID-19 before you get sick.
- Talk with a healthcare provider about planning to access treatment in advance of when you might need it.
- Talk with friends and family about how antiviral treatment could help reduce their chances of being hospitalized or dying from respiratory viruses like COVID-19 and flu.
- Take all treatments as prescribed.
- Talk to a healthcare provider about any questions you have about treatments.
Organizations can
- Provide employees with paid time off to seek treatment for a respiratory virus, as needed.
Key times for prevention
All of the prevention strategies described in this guidance can be helpful to reduce risk. They are especially helpful when:
- Respiratory viruses are causing a lot of illness in your community.
- You or the people around you were recently exposed to a respiratory virus, are sick, or are recovering.
- You or the people around you have risk factors for severe illness.
CDC offers separate, specific guidance for healthcare settings (COVID-19, flu, and general infection prevention and control). Federal civil rights laws may require reasonable modifications or reasonable accommodations in various circumstances. Nothing in this guidance is intended to detract from or supersede those laws.