COVID-19 testing and treatment

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COVID-19 testing

People at high risk of complications of COVID-19 will have had a letter from NHS England. If you have a letter from NHS England saying that you are at high risk and would be eligible for COVID-19 treatment, then you can get free COVID-19 tests from some local pharmacies.

If you don’t have a letter but your specialist or GP tells you that you are eligible for COVID-19 treatment, the pharmacy can advise if they are able to provide a free COVID-19 test.

Please note: Testing kits are not available at all community pharmacies.

Who can have COVID-19 treatment

The original cohort that were considered at high risk of complications of Covid-19. These individuals were contacted by NHS England about a year ago and were advised to contact their GP, NHS 111 or Specialist to be referred to the Covid Medicines Delivery Unit. The risk factors that were relevant to these cohorts can be accessed online.
People aged 85 years and over
People with end stage heart failure who have a long-term ventricular device
People on organ transplant waiting list
People aged 70 years and over, or who have a BMI of 35 kg/m or more, or diabetes or heart failure and:
- Are resident in a care home, or
- Are already hospitalised

People at highest risk

You may be at highest risk of getting seriously ill from COVID-19 if you have:

Down’s syndrome, or another chromosomal condition that affects your immune system
certain types of cancer, or had treatment for certain types of cancer
sickle cell disease
certain conditions affecting your blood, including some types of blood cancer
chronic kidney disease (CKD) stage 4 or 5, including people on dialysis
severe liver disease
had an organ transplant
certain autoimmune or inflammatory conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis or inflammatory bowel disease
HIV or AIDS and have a weakened immune system
a condition affecting your immune system
a condition affecting the brain or nervous system, such as multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, motor neurone disease, myasthenia gravis, Huntington’s disease, Parkinson’s disease or certain types of dementia
certain lung conditions or treatments for lung conditions

This list is a summary and does not cover everything.

If you’re unsure if you are eligible, speak to your doctor or hospital specialist who can advise you.

Find out more about people at the highest risk who are eligible for COVID-19 treatment on the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence website

Treatments for COVID-19

The usual treatments available for people at the highest risk of becoming seriously ill from COVID-19 are:

Nirmatrelvir plus ritonavir, are antiviral medicines and come as tablets which can be taken orally.

Sotrovimab is an intravenous treatment which is used when the tablets are not suitable for a patient because of their medical history.

When being assessed for treatment, a doctor will advise on which treatment is suitable for you.

These treatments can help some people manage their COVID-19 symptoms and reduce the risk of becoming seriously ill.

If you need to go into hospital for COVID-19, you may get other treatments.

How to get COVID-19 treatment

If you think you’re in the highest risk group and need to access COVID-19 treatment, follow these steps to be considered for a referral.

1. Keep rapid lateral flow tests at home

If you’re eligible for COVID-19 treatment, you should keep rapid lateral flow tests at home.

You can pick up free rapid lateral flow test kits from a local pharmacy if you’re eligible for COVID-19 treatment.

The pharmacy may ask you questions about your medical history to confirm you’re eligible for free tests. If you have a copy of a letter or email sent to you by the NHS that says you’re eligible for COVID-19 treatment, take this with you. A letter or email is not essential, but it will help the pharmacy to confirm you’re eligible for free tests.

Someone else can collect free tests on your behalf, for example, a friend, relative or carer. If you do not have a friend, relative or carer who can collect your tests for you, you may be able to book a volunteer responder by calling 0808 196 3646.

Anyone collecting free tests on your behalf needs to give the pharmacy your details, including your:

full name
address
date of birth
NHS number (if available)
medical condition(s) to confirm your eligibility

They should also bring any copies of letters or emails that have been sent to you by the NHS about COVID-19 treatments.

2. Take a rapid lateral flow test if you get symptoms

If you have any symptoms of COVID-19, take a rapid lateral flow test as soon as possible, even if your symptoms are mild. Only take a test if you have symptoms.

You can also use tests you’ve paid for, for example, a test you’ve bought from a supermarket or pharmacy.

3. If your test is positive, call your GP surgery, NHS 111 or hospital specialist

Call your GP surgery, NHS 111 or hospital specialist as soon as possible if your test result is positive.

They will refer you to the Covid Medicines Delivery Unit (CMDU) for an assessment for COVID-19 treatment.

As part of the assessment, you may be asked what other medicines you take or receive, including any vitamins and minerals, so it’s important to have a list of these ready.

If you’re eligible for treatment, it’s important to start the treatment as soon as you can. Treatments for COVID-19 need to be given quickly after your symptoms start to be effective.

If you are prescribed tablets, you will be able to get them from a pharmacy. The CMDU will issue an electronic prescription which can be dispensed by pharmacy of your choice. The medicine can be collected from the pharmacy on your behalf by someone else, such as a friend or relative.

If the treatment needs to be given as a drip in your arm (intravenous infusion), the CMDU will make the necessary arrangements for you to get this at a health centre.

You’ll get instructions on where to get the treatment and how to get there and back safely.

4. If your test is negative, do a total of 3 tests over 3 days

If your test result is negative, but you still have symptoms of COVID-19, you need to do a total of 3 rapid lateral flow tests over 3 days.

For example, if you did your first test today, you should do a 2nd test tomorrow and a 3rd test the day after.

If any test result is positive, you can stop testing and call your GP surgery, NHS 111 or hospital specialist as soon as possible.

More information on treatments for COVID-19

If you need information in easy read format you can read information about treatments for COVID-19 on the NHS England website.

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