PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — While COVID-19 vaccinations are ramping up, hundreds of people a day are still being diagnosed in Hampton Roads and Northeast North Carolina.
Local hospital systems have a treatment that may help the most at risk avoid severe complications and in some cases death but, patients need to act fast.
It’s called a monoclonal antibody and it goes from a vial into your veins through an IV.
“It attaches to the virus. It neutralizes it and it allows the body to quickly clear it — which means those viral loads of how much COVID-19 is circulating in a person’s body actually decreases allowing them to recover much more quickly,” said Janelle Sabo, Global Therapeutics Platform Leader at Eli Lilly and Company.
Eli Lilly and Company makes Bamlanivimab, one of the three treatments FDA approved for emergency use in those over age 65 or anyone over 12 years of age with chronic conditions like lung or kidney disease.
“In that population when treated early, this therapeutic class can decrease the risk of those outcomes by up to 87 percent,” Sabo said.
Sentara Albemarle Medical Center in Elizabeth City is one of several local health centers where patients can get it.
Dr. Donald Bowling, vice president of Medical Affairs, says, “Most of our sites are offering it through the infusion suites where we give drugs like chemotherapy.”
Sentara reports it has been treating between 30 and 100 patients a week with the different antibody infusions across all of their facilities.
The process takes about two hours, he said, one to get the infusion and the other for observation.
“I do think it is worth the risk to prevent the potential of death and very severe outcomes,” Bowling said.
The risk, Bowling says, are minimal, mostly allergic reactions such as itching. Severe reactions are extremely rare.
The key, Sabo said, is getting the treatment right away.
“Within 10 days of the symptom onset and that positive test, it’s important that they seek treatment.”
Some local emergency departments are offering it on-site if you’re diagnosed there. If not, there’s a map online showing all the locations that have it. Talk to your doctor first for a referral.
