"Hi everybody! This is Dr. Stephanie Camaglia Reznick. I'm a board certified internist and one of the medical directors for Virtual Primary Care here at Oscar.
In today's video, I'd like to talk about monoclonal antibody treatment for COVID-19. It used to be hard to get ahold of this treatment and very few people were eligible, but now the antibodies are more widely available and the Food and Drug Administration's emergency use authorization (EUA) has a relatively broad list of eligibility criteria, meaning many patients might be able to get this treatment.
Eligibility for treatment
So, who's eligible?
Well, one thing to keep in mind, it does not matter if you've been vaccinated or not. Either way, you could still potentially have this treatment.
If you test positive for COVID-19 and your symptoms started in the past 10 days, you may be eligible.
There's a long list of conditions that would make you eligible and you can look at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or FDA website for details. That said, let me list some of the more common ones:
If you have a history of chronic lung disease or chronic heart disease, including high blood pressure.
If this applies to you, then you meet an eligibility criteria.
Exclusionary criteria for treatment
Once you know that you've tested positive, symptom onset has not been more than 10 days ago, and you meet one of those inclusion criteria, you have to make sure that you don't meet what's called an exclusion criteria. This means you cannot be hospitalized. And, if you're normally not on oxygen, your oxygen level must be 94% or higher.
If you're normally on oxygen or have lower oxygen levels, then your oxygen level now must be within 3% of your baseline or normal oxygen level.
So if you have COVID-19, it's been within 10 days and you don't need oxygen or to be hospitalized, and you meet one of those criteria, you really need to reach out to either your primary care provider or another clinician to discuss whether or not you should get monoclonal antibody treatment.
Receiving antibody treatment
Many primary care providers and even some specialists are able to prescribe it. The emergency rooms are often able to provide it as well, but keep in mind, they're very busy with really sick patients, both COVID-related and not related.
The treatment is given through an IV or is called an infusion and it can take some time. Make sure to bring a book with you, crossword puzzles, or something else to help the time pass. Because the treatment has been shown to decrease the risk of hospitalization by up to 70%, I think it's an important option for patients to be aware of.
If you have any questions and you're an Oscar member, the Virtual Urgent Care team is available to you 24/7 on your app.
If you're eligible for Virtual Primary Care and you're looking for a new primary care provider, please schedule an appointment through your app or through your Oscar website account.
We look forward to being your partner in health."
Last updated on September 21st, 2021.
This content does not constitute medical advice and is not meant to be a substitute for professional medical advice, including diagnosis or treatment. Contact your physician with any questions you may have regarding COVID-19 or your personal health. If you are experiencing a medical emergency, dial 911 for immediate assistance.
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