Tested Positive For COVID-19? Here's What You Need To Know About Monoclonal Antibody Treatments

As the delta variant continues to drive record case numbers and hospitalizations, monoclonal antibody treatments for the virus are becoming increasingly popular. They're designed to reduce COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths by infusing high-risk patients with lab-created virus-fighting antibodies. 

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has reported an 18-fold increase in the treatment's use over the past few months. But many patients still don't know they're eligible, and snagging an appointment can be tricky. Here's what you need to know about navigating the process. 

How does the treatment work?

Monoclonal antibodies are antibodies that are produced in a lab and then administered to a patient, either by IV infusion or via subcutaneous injection, in order to help them fight off infection, in this case, COVID-19. 

The treatment works by giving your immune system a boost during a critical stage of the illness – the first few days after you've been infected. 

“What happens with COVID is, is that you get the infection, and it gets into your respiratory tract. And then eventually, unfortunately, in many people, it ends up in their lungs, and it causes this really profound inflammatory damage," says Dr. Brent McQuaid with Cone Health. "So it's not just the infection itself, the bug in there doing damage, a lot of times, it's their body's immune system's response to it that evolves over that first, like a week to 10 days that they've contracted the illness.”

He says the antibody treatments, if they're given early enough, can help the body respond and prevent inflammatory damage to organs that may lead to hospitalization or death. 

How effective are these treatments?

Cone Health's data shows they can reduce the risk of hospitalization by about 50%. Other studies have shown a 70% reduction. Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist infectious disease specialist Dr. John Sanders says they're not a substitute for vaccination though.

“One of the reasons that vaccines are so much better than these monoclonal antibodies is the antibodies, the little proteins that our immune system makes that bind the virus, and that's what we're giving with a monoclonal antibody," says Sanders. "That's just one part of a very complex, multi-layered immune response that we generate when we get the vaccine. So if we're relying only on the antibody to protect us, that means we're only using one shield, when we really could have lots of armor on.”

Sanders says they also don't know how long these monoclonal antibodies will last in patients' bodies. He says antibodies generated by vaccination give longer-lasting and much more durable protection against infection. 

How do you know if you're eligible?

You're eligible if you are over the age of 12, weigh more than 88 pounds, and are at high risk for developing severe COVID-19, regardless of your vaccination status. High-risk conditions include high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity. 

Many people may not even know these treatments exist, let alone if they qualify for them, because right now providers are not required to tell you about them if you test positive for COVID-19. That's something state officials say they're working on though. The plan is to provide people with a flyer with information about these treatments when they're getting tested. 

Something else to note here: these treatments are free to patients. There is a cost to administer the treatment that a provider could bill you for, but insurance should cover it and if you're not insured providers can bill to a federal fund set aside to cover these costs. 

What's the easiest way to get an appointment?

One way to do it is to go through your primary care doctor, if you have one. They're able to refer you to a clinic, or in some cases they may be able to give you an injectable version of the treatment right in their office. 

If you don't have a primary care doctor, the process could be a little more confusing. 

On the state health department's website, there's a page on monoclonal antibody treatments. If you scroll down on that page, there's a tool called Find My Treatment Center. There you can search by zip code and find clinics offering the treatments. But when you open that site, you immediately get a message that essentially says these treatments are available by referral only. 

Due to a recent executive order, that's not the case anymore. The directive created a standing order for the treatments, making it easier for people without a doctor to get access.

Is the state planning to make these treatments more accessible?

Yes. Dr. Fuller Moore says we're hearing more about these treatments now because they're more available now than they were earlier this year and the hope is that this will continue to be the case. 

“We're working with our federal partners to bring in some monoclonal antibody teams and partner them up in five or six locations across the state where we have less monoclonal antibody administration capacity," said Dr. Fuller Moore. "And then finally, we're looking at what our other options for setting up larger monoclonal antibody sites might be so that's where we are right now is in that investigation phase of being able to set up those larger clinics.”

Health care providers say that right now they have enough supply of these treatments, but they are struggling in some cases to find nurses to administer them. That's been a problem nationally as well. 

Editor's note: This story has been updated from its original version to reflect Gov. Cooper's announcement to expand access to monoclonal treatments.

For the most up-to-date information on coronavirus in North Carolina, visit our Live Updates blog here. WFDD wants to hear your stories — connect with us and let us know what you're experiencing.