North Charleston, SC – “It's an important success story in the ongoing fight against COVID.” That's how Trident Health Chief Medical Officer Dr. Lee Biggs responded when he learned the 700 th Lowcountry resident had received the COVID monoclonal antibody infusion therapy at Trident Medical Center.
Just 17 weeks ago, before the COVID vaccine became available in South Carolina, Trident Medical Center administered its first dose of the COVID monoclonal antibody. At the time, Dr. Biggs said, “The primary goal of the medication is to prevent hospitalizations by treating COVID positive individuals with low to moderate symptoms who are most risk of being hospitalized if their symptoms become severe.”
Dr. Angela Taylor, a hospitalist on staff at Trident Medical Center, has cared for COVID positive inpatients since March 2020. “The approval of the monoclonal antibody was an important step in the fight against COVID 19 and reducing hospitalizations related to the virus,” explained Dr. Taylor. “It has saved lives.”
Based on the hospital’s latest report the therapy is meeting its goal. “Our numbers indicate we’ve kept 95% of the patients out of the hospital. They were able to recover at home. And, the vast majority of patients who recovered at home indicated their symptoms decreased after completing the one time treatment.”
Of the 700 patients who received the infusion therapy the hospital’s numbers show:
- 55% were women
- 45 % were men
- 70% White
- 25% Black
- 3% Hispanic
- 1% Asian
- 1% Other
“Another highlight in the success story was our treatment of nearly 30 residents of a Lowcountry nursing home,” said Dr. Biggs. All of the patients were older than 80. After receiving the treatment none were hospitalized. When you consider what was happening in nursing homes around the country in the early phases of COVID it’s remarkable when you consider the outcomes of the patients we treated.”
The therapy, approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (USFDA), November 9, 2020, is to be administered to patients within 10 days of testing positive for COVID. patients within 10 days of testing positive for COVID.
With more than 460,000 South Carolinians who’ve tested positive for COVID and more than 8,000 who’ve passed away as a result of the virus Trident Medical Center has established a phone number for people who’ve tested positive for COVID within the past 10 days. The number is (843) 847–4270. The clinic is open Monday – Friday from 8:00 am – 5:00 pm.
“Callers will be asked a brief questionnaire that includes their positive test date,” explained Dr. Biggs. “The goal is to create an easy to use process for people to schedule an appointment at our monoclonal antibody treatment clinic.”