Macon Times

Atrium Health Navicent issued the following announcement on Sept. 2. 

The outpatient, one-time therapy is effective in preventing symptoms from worsening and helping prevent disease progression that might otherwise require hospitalization/p>

Atrium Health Navicent is now offering outpatient COVID-19 monoclonal antibody (mAb) treatments at five central Georgia locations.

If administered within the first week of COVID-19 symptoms onset, the one-time therapy is highly effective in neutralizing the virus and preventing symptoms from worsening, helping prevent progression of the disease that might otherwise require hospitalization. The treatment is administered through intravenous infusion, delivering medication directly into a patient’s bloodstream

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The therapy is intended for use in individuals who have recently tested positive for the COVID-19 virus who are at high risk for developing severe COVID-19 illness, or those who are unvaccinated and have been exposed to someone who has tested positive

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“Atrium Health Navicent is committed to supporting our community’s health and wellness as we continue to battle COVID-19. We’re proud to offer mAb treatments as another tool to help reduce the impacts of this devastating illness,” said Atrium Health Navicent President and CEO Delvecchio Finley. “While this treatment is highly effective, we also urge everyone to become vaccinated. Vaccination remains the best proven method for reducing the risk of serious COVID-19 illness and reducing the pandemic’s spread.”

The therapy, approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration by emergency use authorization, is not a replacement for vaccination. A Phase 3 clinical trial showed that the antibody therapy reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by 70 percent or more, in patients who received the drug intravenously, compared to those who received a placebo.

Monoclonal antibody treatment is available via a physician’s referral for eligible adults and children aged 12 and older at Atrium Health Navicent The Medical Center, Atrium Health Navicent Beverly Knight Olson Children’s Hospital, Atrium Health Navicent Baldwin, Atrium Health Navicent Peach and Monroe County Hospital, an Atrium Health Navicent Partner.

“As the Delta variant continues to spread through central and South Georgia, mAb treatment offers another care option to help save lives,” said Dr. Patrice Walker, Chief Medical Officer for Atrium Health Navicent The Medical Center. “It is important to remember, this treatment doesn’t replace COVID vaccines as our community’s most powerful tool to prevent serious coronavirus infection.” To find a vaccine provider, visit dph.georgia.gov/covid-vaccine.

For assistance in choosing a primary physician, visit navicenthealth.org and select “Find a Doctor.”

Original source can be found here.