SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) – A new outpatient treatment may eliminate hospital stays for COVID-19 patients in the Ozarks.
As cases of COVID-19 spike here in the Ozarks and hospitals become overwhelmed. CoxHealth on Friday reported 105 hospitalizations from the virus. Mercy in Springfield reported another 128 hospitalizations.
In November, the Food and Drug Administration gave emergency use authorization for monoclonal antibody infusion treatments. Patients with a higher risk may get the medication through an outpatient IV infusion. Providers have been offering the treatment for months, but recently stopped using the bamlanivimab etesevimab combo. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services put a pause on its distribution. Federal health officials say the treatment wasn’t effective against the Gamma or Beta COVID-19 variants, which are spreading.
Mercy staff says it stopped using the old combo that same day, June 25. Citizens Memorial Hospital in Bolivar quickly switched to the new combo. CoxHealth staff also used the new combo. Providers can refer patients for the treatment.
Jordan Valley Community Health Center is waiting on the new treatment. Mercy says it has received the medication, but is working on logistics to provide the treatment to patients.
“It’s primarily an outpatient infusion, so we really want to prevent emergency room visits and hospitalizations,” said David Wolfrath, Mercy Executive Dir. of Pharmacy. “So really want to make it available.”
Mercy hopes to start offering the treatment in the next couple of weeks, maybe as early as next week. Doctors plan to offer it somewhere besides the emergency room.
Doctors at CMH have treated more than 400 patients with antibody infusions throughout the pandemic. They say they’re currently treating seven to nine patients a day.
For COVID-19 treatment at home, the CDC only recommends over the counter fever medication like Tylenol, lots of fluids and rest.
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