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COVID-19 Prevention and Treatment

What you need to know about prevention and treatment of COVID-19 in Massachusetts.
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Prevention

The most important thing you can do to help protect yourself and others from COVID-19 is to get vaccinated and get all recommended boosters when you are eligible for them.

Vaccines to prevent COVID-19 are in wide distribution across the state. For the latest information, including links to find a vaccination site and information on vaccine safety, please visit mass.gov/CovidVaccine

Even as more people are vaccinated, prevention measures are still necessary, even if you have been fully vaccinated and received a booster. Here are other things you can do to help prevent the spread of COVID-19:

  • Stay home when you are sick and take a test for COVID-19.
  • Wear a face mask where advised or required and follow the guidance on selecting and wearing a mask. 
  • Get tested if you develop any symptoms of COVID-19 (even if they are mild) and on day 6 day following an exposure to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.
  • Isolate if you test positive for COVID-19 (or if test results are pending) and notify your close contacts they may have been exposed. For detailed isolation guidance visit:
  • Follow Massachusetts Exposure Precautions if you have been exposed to COVID-19.
  • Gather with others outside or increase ventilation by bringing fresh outdoor air inside when weather permits.
  • Keep your gatherings small and brief to help avoid “superspreader” events.
  • Cover your coughs and sneezes.
  • Practice good hand hygiene by washing hands frequently with soap and water, if soap and water are not available, use hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol.
  • Enable MassNotify on a personal smartphone to receive messages when a potential exposure has occurred and alert others if tested positive.
  • Follow guidance when travelling: Visit mass.gov/CovidTravel for the latest recommendations related to travel during COVID-19.

Treatment

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of several treatments for early mild-to-moderate COVID-19 in high-risk patients

Oral antiviral medications and monoclonal antibody treatment reduce the severity of disease and can keep COVID-positive individuals out of the hospital. It’s free - no insurance is needed. More at treatments for COVID-19.

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