How is COVID-19 treated?

Treatment for COVID-19 addresses the signs and symptoms of the infection and supports people with more severe disease. For mild cases of coronavirus disease, your doctor may recommend measures such as fever reducers or over-the-counter medications. More severe cases may require hospital care, where a patient may receive a combination of treatments that could include steroids, oxygen, mechanical breathing support and other COVID-19 treatments in development. Infusions of monoclonal antibodies given to certain patients early in the infection may reduce the symptoms, severity and duration of the illness.

How do you protect yourself from this coronavirus?

Vaccines are now authorized to prevent infection with SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. But until more is understood about how the vaccines affect a person’s ability to transmit the virus, precautions such as mask-wearing, physical distancing and hand hygiene should continue regardless of a person’s vaccination status to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine and ways to protect yourself.

Does COVID-19 cause death?

Yes, severe COVID-19 can be fatal. For updates of coronavirus infections, deaths and vaccinations worldwide, see the Coronavirus COVID-19 Global Cases map developed by the Johns Hopkins Center for Systems Science and Engineering.

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