Costa Howard Urges COVID-19 Patients to Seek Telehealth Care through Virtual Care Program

LOMBARD – If you have moderate symptoms of COVID-19 infection, or if you have tested positive for the virus, State Rep. Terra Costa Howard, D-Glen Ellyn, urges you to monitor your health at home and get access to useful medical supplies through the new Illinois COVID-19 Virtual Care Program.

“With this COVID-19 Virtual Care Program, Illinois is using professional telehealth monitoring to help people with mild to moderate infections to stay safe at home,” said Costa Howard. “By keeping tabs on people’s symptoms remotely, we can avoid overwhelming our hospitals and doctors’ offices with people who don’t need urgent care, while quickly identifying people who are seriously ill and require swift in-person medical attention.”

The Illinois COVID-19 Virtual Care Program is available to all Illinois residents, regardless of their health insurance coverage. In addition to daily telehealth visits, patients can receive wellness kits that include important medical supplies, such as thermometers, pulse oximeters, blood pressure cuffs, alcohol wipes, and masks. Under the Illinois COVID-19 Virtual Care Program, people also can access food, transportation, and other services through the Illinois Department of Public Health.

To enroll in the Illinois COVID-19 Virtual Care Program, please text CARE (your Illinois ZIP code) to 36363. For example, Lombard residents would text CARE 60148 to 36363. You will receive a text message with additional information about COVID-19 symptoms, screening, telehealth providers, and self-care.

“This service will help residents in our communities to access the level of COVID-19 medical care they need, safely and quickly,” Costa Howard said. “As always, my office is available to help connect our constituents to COVID-19 resources, so please contact us any time at 630-812-9292 or staff@reptch48.com for assistance.”