BRADENTON (WSNN) – Blake Medical Center provides a brand new COVID-19 treatment to an outpatient this week.
It’s one of four HCA Healthcare West Florida Hospitals providing Pfizer’s Bamlanivimab monoclonal antibody therapy treatment.
Bradenton resident Ronald Bush received the first IV on Monday.
The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) granted Emergency Authorized Use (EUA) of Bamlanivimab for the treatment of COVID-19 patients with mild to moderate symptoms who are high risk to develop severe COVID-19.
High-risk conditions that may be eligible for this treatment include:
- Obesity
- Chronic kidney disease
- COPD
- Diabetes
- Immunosuppressive disease
- Heart disease
And you have to be within the first 10-days of your symptom onset to receive it.
But, if you’re already hospitalized due to COVID or require oxygen, you are NOT eligible for this treatment.
“We love serving our community,” Blake’s Chief Nursing Officer, Kimberly Hatchel said. “This is a way for us to give back and also be in the front, to be ahead with the science. It’s super exciting to us to be able to help our community.”
You need a physician referral and must meet F-D-A criteria prior to being scheduled for the treatment. The Medication supply is limited and based on availability. Blake Medical has about 30 doses.
