Medstar To Provide COVID-19 Antibody Treatment In Patient’s Home
Patch Detroit — MedStar said Monday it will provide monoclonal antibody infusion treatments at a person’s residence to reduce COVID-19 symptoms and the risk of hospitalization, according to a news release.
Monoclonal antibodies are lab-engineered immune system proteins that can help trigger a healthy immune response against a COVID-19 infection.
The announcement comes on the heels of both the World Health Organization and the Biden administration’s endorsement of monoclonal antibody treatment for COVID-19 patients at the greatest risk of being hospitalized.
Infected COVID-19 patients with obesity, hypertension, kidney disease and COPD remain the most susceptible to severe illness from the virus.
As COVID-19 cases remain high in Michigan, demand has surged for monoclonal antibody treatments.
“Since the time these medications have become available, Medstar Mobile Health Paramedics have administered monoclonal antibody treatments, and recently the requests are doubling each day,” Medstar CEO., Kolby Miller said.
Once a Medstar paramedic receives a physician’s referral, the medical technician will administer the IV therapy at the patient’s home. The IV infusion takes 15-30 minutes and the medical technician will monitor the patient for an hour afterward.
“The administration of monoclonal antibodies in the home is another example of the integration of EMS providers into the new world integrated healthcare delivery,” Miller said. “It is through this type of integration that we will improve the health status of the residents in the communities we serve.”