COVID treatment online in Puerto Rico

COVID-19 is a respiratory infection caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Symptoms usually appear 2 to 14 days after exposure, most often around day 5. For most people it is mild, but it can be severe in older adults and people with certain conditions.

Flu and COVID-19 are so alike that only a test can tell them apart. If your COVID test is negative and your fever and aches came on suddenly, it may be the flu. In Puerto Rico, a fever with pain behind the eyes or bone pain can also be dengue.

Request a visit online 24/7 — we confirm your time by email or text.

COVID is handled in a US$79 doctor visit, the same price for every age, with no membership. You pay by card when you request the visit, and you get a full refund if the visit can’t take place. A doctor’s note after your visit is included at no extra charge.

We do not bill insurance; the lab and the pharmacy charge separately. See all prices. The service is run by The Health Initiative, a nonprofit.

The most common symptoms, according to the CDC:

• Fever or chills
• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Sore throat
• Congestion or runny nose
• New loss of taste or smell
• Tiredness
• Muscle or body aches
• Headache
• Nausea, vomiting or diarrhea

If you have COVID-19 and are more likely to get very sick, antivirals can lower the risk of hospitalization and death. Higher-risk people include older adults (especially 75 and older), people who are unvaccinated, and people with conditions such as diabetes, heart or lung disease, obesity, pregnancy or a weakened immune system.

Timing matters: antiviral pills are started within 5 days of the first symptoms, and the IV antiviral given at a health facility within 7 days. The CDC says you don’t need a positive test to start treatment if you are at high risk. Some of these medicines interact with many others, which is why the doctor reviews everything you take.

For testing, you can use an over-the-counter antigen home test. One negative home test does not rule out COVID: the CDC, citing the FDA, advises two negative antigen tests taken 48 hours apart if you have symptoms. If the doctor needs a lab test, or if your symptoms last 4 weeks or more (long COVID), we give you an order for a lab near you.

Stay home and away from others while you are sick, including people you live with. The CDC says you can go back to normal activities when, for at least 24 hours, your symptoms are getting better overall and you have had no fever without fever-reducing medicine.

For the next 5 days take extra care indoors: improve ventilation, wash your hands, wear a well-fitted mask and keep your distance, especially around older adults and people with high-risk conditions. Rest, drink fluids, and use acetaminophen or ibuprofen for fever and aches as the label directs. The COVID-19 vaccine is the best protection against severe illness.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), COVID-19 can be serious in children too, and young children are more likely to get very sick. Children with obesity, asthma or other lung disease, diabetes, sickle cell disease, heart or immune conditions, or complex medical needs are at higher risk.

The doctor evaluates your child by video with you on camera. Most children with mild symptoms recover at home with rest and fluids; do not give aspirin to a child. Treatments exist for some high-risk children, but not every antiviral is approved for every age, and the doctor will evaluate whether one is appropriate for your child. Patients under 21 need a parent or legal guardian on camera with ID. See our online doctor for kids.

For safety: a baby under 3 months with a temperature of 100.4 °F (38 °C) or higher needs the emergency room right away. Also go to the ER if your child is breathing fast or with difficulty, has the chest pulling in with each breath, is very drowsy or hard to wake, won’t drink, or has gray or bluish lips.

For your safety, call 911 or go to the emergency room if you have any of these signs. See when to go to the ER.

• Trouble breathing
• Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
• New confusion
• Can’t wake up or stay awake
• Pale, gray or bluish lips, nail beds or skin
• Can’t drink or keep fluids down
• A baby under 3 months with a temperature of 100.4 °F (38 °C) or higher