The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word INCASED
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
I
N
C
A
S
E
D
Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "covered" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case covered = incased.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does INCASED mean?
INCASED verb- To enclose, as in a case.