Temple Health aims to limit COVID hospitalizations with new Infusion Clinic
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- In the fight against COVID-19, Temple Health has a tool they want people to have access to if they get diagnosed with the illness. The tool will help you get better and hopefully avoid hospitalization.
Some patients are taking advantage of Temple Health's COVID Infusion Clinic.
"The infusion clinic is for patients who have confirmed COVID, who are at higher risk of getting sicker and ending up in the hospital," said pulmonologist Dr. Jeff Stewart.
Patients receive a one-time infusion of monoclonal antibodies, the same treatment former President DonaldTrump received.
"Monoclonal antibodies are like laboratory made proteins that work with your body to fight things off such as infections," said clinical pharmacy specialist Nur Kazzaz, Pharm D, BCPS.
In this case, COVID-19, but you must be newly diagnosed. Each potential patient is evaluated for the infusion's effectiveness to help them.
"If they have chronic kidney disease or diabetes, if you are immunosuppressed, if you're over 65 are some of the things we look at to decide who is at risk of ending up in the hospital and getting sicker and we want to obviously prevent that," said Dr. Stewart.
Nurses working directly with patients in the clinic said the response has been largely positive.
"We're really happy to see people get better and to have this treatment as the best thing that we have to offer for you," said registered nurse Laura Brinkley
Patients said the treatment works.
"I've heard some patients who feel better immediately after like the next day or even just no lingering of symptoms of not being as rundown and fatigued as that happens with COVID," Brinkley said.
Temple said the process is simple, you can click here to see if you qualify and where to register.
Once you have an appointment you go in, get the hour-long infusion, the nurses monitor you for another hour and then you go home.
And because this treatment has emergency approval it is offered for free.
