Tulsa ER Hospital Expanding Access To Antibody Infusions For COVID-19 Patients

More Eastern Oklahoma COVID-19 patients will have access to monoclonal antibody infusions soon, as governments on several levels open outpatient clinics to handle a growing number of cases.

The typically one-time, approximately one-hour, IV infusion, has been used for several months in hospital settings.

A surge of COVID-19 cases is pushing providers to expand use of monoclonal antibody treatments that can help people recover if it’s caught early enough. The treatment isn’t new, but a recent change in recommendations means more people are qualified to get it.

It’s only for high-risk patients, in the first 10 days of symptoms. It’s not recommended for patients needing supplemental oxygen or already hospitalized, according to Dr. Mark Blubaugh with Tulsa ER & Hospital.

“We've done hundreds and hundreds and we've had less than five patients come back and have to be hospitalized,” said Blubaugh .

The treatment is an IV infusion that takes about an hour. There are a couple of brands, but Tulsa ER uses Regen-Cov. The FDA has authorized the treatment under an Emergency Use Authorization, just as it has with the COVID-19 vaccines.

Blubaugh said patients typically report improvement within a couple of day. However, Blubaugh said most of the patients seeking medical attention, and practically all of them needing hospitalization, are unvaccinated.

The State Department of Health reported Thursday that 92% of Oklahoma patients hospitalized with COVID-19 were not fully vaccinated.

The Tulsa Health Department is considering opening infusion clinics so more people can get the antibody treatment, as COVID cases continue a rise that some models predict won’t peak until mid-September.

The Cherokee Nation started using the treatment at all of their clinics this week, according to a spokesperson.

Tulsa ER is one of a handful of providers in Tulsa, outside of larger hospital settings, where patients can get the treatment.

FDA Fact Sheet on Covid-19 Treatments