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Are you eligible for COVID-19 antiviral treatment?

Posted 12/08/2022
This article was medically reviewed by our doctors.

Last updated: June, 2024

While vaccination against COVID-19 is the first and best defence against the illness, some people are at a higher risk of becoming very unwell if they contract it and would benefit from COVID-19 antiviral treatment.

To assess your eligibility or to speak to one of our doctors, visit the new COVID-19 antiviral consultation platform.

Who can receive oral antiviral treatment for COVID-19?

The list of Australians who can receive oral antiviral treatment for COVID-19 includes:

  • 70 years of age or older, regardless of risk factors and with or without symptoms.
  • 50 years of age or older with two additional risk factors for developing severe disease.
  • First Nations people, 30 years of age or older and with one additional risk factor for developing severe disease.
  • 18 years of age or older and have previously been hospitalized from COVID-19 and are re-infected.
  • 18 years of age or older are moderately to severely immunocompromised.

If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, you should not have any oral antiviral COVID-19 treatments.

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The risk factors include:

  • Living in residential aged care
  • Living with disability with multiple conditions and/or frailty (but not limited to living in supported accommodation)
  • Neurological conditions like stroke or dementia and demyelinating conditions, for example, multiple sclerosis, Guillain-Barre Syndrome
  • Chronic respiratory conditions including COPD, moderate or severe asthma
  • Obesity or diabetes (type I or II requiring medication)
  • Heart failure, coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathies
  • Kidney failure or cirrhosis
  • Living remotely with reduced access to higher level healthcare

Qualifying conditions include:

  • Blood cancer or some red blood cell disorders (thalassemia, sickle cell disease)
  • Transplant recipient
  • Primary or acquired (HIV) immunodeficiency
  • Chemotherapy or whole-body radiotherapy in the last 3 months
  • High dose corticosteroids or pulse corticosteroid therapy in the last 3 months
  • Immunosuppressive treatments in the last 3 months
  • Anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody treatment in the last 12 months
  • Cerebral palsy or Down Syndrome
  • Congenital heart disease
  • Living with disability with multiple conditions and/or frailty

To assess your eligibility or to speak to one of our doctors, visit the COVID-19 antiviral consultation platform.

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Access to COVID-19 antiviral treatment

With COVID expected to be the third leading cause of death in Australia this year, we are helping to reduce severe cases and mortality rates with a dedicated COVID-19 antiviral service.

The new service enables patients to assess whether they are eligible for the COVID-19 oral antiviral treatment through an online questionnaire. Patients who are eligible will then have a phone consultation with an InstantScripts doctor. Patients who are not eligible can still receive support to manage their symptoms.

Information in this article regarding eligibility for oral antiviral COVID-19 treatmenthas been sourced from The Department of Health and Aged Care.