Jackson Hospital treatment relieving coronavirus patients of symptoms

DOTHAN, Ala. (WTVY) - As the number of coronavirus cases continues to grow, doctors at Jackson Hospital in Marianna are finding that a treatment they’ve been administering is keeping the symptoms down

“So the drug we are giving is a monoclonal antibody it’s called bamlanivimab,” says Jackson Hospital assistant chief nursing officer Jesse Roberts.

It’s called “Bam Bam” for short. It’s a single infusion based on the research of plasma of coronavirus patients.

“They took the antibodies from the plasma and cloned it in a lab over and over again until we just had one big bag of antibodies and they bond and get that out of your system quicker,” says Roberts.

The treatment is not approved for wide use, and like the vaccine, it is not available to everyone.

The FDA has okayed the treatment under an emergency use authorization for patients who tested positive for the virus, are 12 years old or older, and are at high risk for progressing severe symptoms or hospitalization.

60 Jackson Hospital patients have been given the treatment and almost t all of them have remained out of the hospital.

“Some patients are telling me that the same day they feel better. Others are telling me that within 48 hours they are starting to feel better, but we’ve really noticed that the earlier you get it within 10 days of being symptomatic makes all of the difference,” says Roberts.

The treatment is putting an end to symptoms and helping to end the pandemic.

“Jackson Hospital is proud to be able to do this for the community. This is just another weapon in the fight against this deadly virus so anything that we can do to provide that relief to those that are suffering with it, we’re very proud to be able to do that,” says Roberts.

The hospital has not received any COVID-19 vaccine yet.

While they will continue to use the treatment to fight the virus.

Patients do need a referral from their primary care physician to receive the treatment.

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