Local hospital offering new treatment for COVID-19 patients
There is a new treatment available locally for patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 symptoms. Baptist Memorial Hospital-Carroll County is now offering a Monoclonal Antibody treatment that has been shown to decrease the severity of the disease.
In a telephone interview last week, Baptist Director of Pharmacy Nina Smothers said that at that point, the hospital had treated 12 Covid-19 patients with good results. Patients must be referred to the treatment by their primary care provider.
In order to qualify for the treatment, patients must be Covid-19 positive, within 10 days of symptom onset, and must be over 40 kg (88 lbs.) in weight. Additionally, qualifying patients must be either:
- 65 years of age or older
- 12 years of age and older and have at least one of the following:
- Have a body mass index greater than or equal to 35
- Have chronic kidney disease
- Have diabetes
- Have immunosuppressive disease
- Currently receiving immunosuppressive treatment
- 55 years of age and older and have at least one of the following:
- Cardiovascular disease
- Hypertension
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease/other chronic respiratory disease
- 12-17 years of age and have at least one of the following:
- MBI at or above the 85th percentile for their age and gender based on CDC growth charts,
- Sickle cell disease
- Congenital or acquired heart disease
- Neurodevelopmental disorders, ex. Cerebral palsy
- A medical-related technological dependence, ex. Tracheostomy, gastrostomy, or positive pressure ventilation (not related to Covid-19),
- Asthma, reactive airway, or other chronic respiratory disease that requires daily medication for control
The treatment is an outpatient operation with a 60-minute infusion and a 60-minute monitoring process. The hospital began offering Monoclonal Antibody Treatment on Nov. 13.
Anyone with questions about the treatment is encouraged to call Baptist Memorial Hospital-Carroll County at 731-986-7336.
