ANDERSON – The Madison County health officer is encouraging people with early symptoms of the coronavirus to get an antibody infusion treatment.
Dr. Stephen Wright said this week that Eli Lilly has developed a treatment that is showing signs of stopping the spread of the virus.
Wright said those with risk factors such as obesity, being over the age of 55, kidney or heart disease or cancer and contracted the virus within the past 10 days are eligible for the emergency infusion.
Currently, Wright said, the antibody infusion is only available at Greenfield’s Hancock Regional Hospital and Community Hospital East.
Wright said he is working with local hospitals to begin providing the antibody infusion treatment.
He said all it takes is for a physician to complete the necessary paperwork after a positive test and the hospitals are contacting patients within 48 hours.
“The three-hour infusion is completed and within 48 hours, and the patient generally is back to their normal healthy status,” Wright said. “I was astounded at the quick recovery and we have treated several infected folks with excellent results.”
Wright said the vaccines developed by Pfizer and Moderna are excellent and effective.
“They have no worse side effects than a tetanus shot,” he said.
He said those people who have been vaccinated should continue to wear a mask and maintain social distancing.
“It appears that our efforts to contain the virus have failed and we now need to protect people with vaccines and infusion treatments as soon as possible,” Wright said.
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