FAYETTEVILLE, WV (WOAY) – Despite over 73.7 million Americans already being vaccinated against COVID-19, and all the various precautions we’ve worked together in taking to try and combat this relentless virus, it still has not yet shown any signs of giving in. But we aren’t giving up on fighting either, which is why more treatment options against COVID are becoming more available and easily accessible by the day.
“Once patients are in the hospital, there’s a product that’s approved called Remdesivir for patients who are needing oxygen or who are just simply sick enough to be in the hospital, and that’s available at all of our local hospitals here,” says Dr. Anita Stewart, health officer at Fayette County Health Department. “They’ve done a great job of staying up to date and having the products we need to keep our community safe and healthy.”
In addition to that specific treatment, there are other treatment options which can be made available to patients suffering from the virus, but Remdesivir is right now the only option actually approved by the FDA. Currently, the US is also spending $150 million to broaden access to monoclonal antibodies, which have been proven to be successful in treating COVID-19 patients showing less severe symptoms.
“As far as people not in the hospital, so the mild to moderately ill patients, we are using monoclonal antibodies, and there are two of those products, the Lilly product and the Regeneron product,” Dr. Stewart says. “Locally people can go to the emergency department and get that set up through there, they don’t need a referral for that.”
Medical professionals suggest this method of treatment to anyone over the age of 65 or those over the age of 12 who have possible risk factors. But, despite these various treatment options, getting vaccinated and just staying safe seems to be the best options we have available right now in reducing and preventing COVID-19.
“You know, it’s hard because this is a new disease and we’re still working to try and find something, like that magic bullet that can just make this go away. We haven’t found that yet, but I know we’re working hard in the scientific world to do that and that’s just going to take time.”
