UAMS Now Providing COVID-19 Monoclonal Antibody Treatment in Northwest Arkansas
| FAYETTEVILLE – The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) is now administering a special infusion to qualifying COVID-positive people in Northwest Arkansas to help minimize symptoms and keep people out of the hospital.
UAMS is providing the subcutaneous monoclonal antibody injections (Regen-Cov) on its Fayetteville campus at 1125 N. College Ave. on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 1:00-5:00 p.m., with plans to increase to five days per week within the next two weeks, according the Sheena CarlLee, M.D., a UAMS internal medicine physician who is helping lead the clinic.
“The drug is not a cure,” CarlLee said, “but is designed to lessen the viral load and severity of illness. The therapy has proven to help reduce the need for hospitalization for high-risk COVID-positive patients by nearly 70%.”
Monoclonal antibody therapies deliver man-made antibodies that the body’s immune system would naturally produce when exposed to the novel coronavirus. Introducing man-made antibodies speeds up the immune response process.
Qualifying patients are those with mild to moderate symptoms with less than 10 days since symptom onset and who carry one of the risk factors that could worsen outcomes from COVID-19, including:
- Age 65 or older and those aged 12 to 64 who are high risk for severe disease
- Obesity, with aBMI greater than 25
- Pregnancy
- Chronic Kidney Disease
- Diabetes
- Immunosuppressive disease or immunosuppressive treatment
- Cardiovascular disease or hypertension
- Chronic lung diseases
- Sickle cell disease
- Neurodevelopmental disorders such as cerebral palsy
- Having a medical-related technological dependence such as tracheostomy, gastrostomy, or positive pressure ventilation (not related to COVID-19)
The injections are outpatient only. UAMS has set up a special monoclonal antibody clinic space so that COVID-positive patients are kept separate from other clinic patients. Injections are administered in four sites on the body, and the patient is monitored for an hour to make sure there are no serious reactions to the drug. CarlLee said UAMS can treat about eight patients a day in Northwest Arkansas.
Any UAMS or non-UAMS provider can screen and order the treatment for their patients. Non-UAMS providers should email the patient’s name and contact information to UAMS HealthNow at healthnow@uams.edu. Individuals can also email their name, date of birth and phone number to UAMS HealthNow. Clinic staff will call to provide screening and order treatment if appropriate. A copy of the COVID-19 test result is required.
If a person doesn’t meet qualifications, they will be told to quarantine and asked some basic questions. If they need to be seen for a visit, then they will be offered a UAMS HealthNow visit.
COVID-positive Marshallese residents who need to be screened can call 479-332-0222 to speak to a Marshallese community health worker in their native language.
For any further questions about qualifications or to set up an appointment, please contact your doctor.
UAMS is the state’s only health sciences university, with colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions and Public Health; a graduate school; hospital; a main campus in Little Rock; a Northwest Arkansas regional campus in Fayetteville; a statewide network of regional campuses; and seven institutes: the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, Psychiatric Research Institute, Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging, Translational Research Institute and Institute for Digital Health & Innovation. UAMS includes UAMS Health, a statewide health system that encompasses all of UAMS’ clinical enterprise including its hospital, regional clinics and clinics it operates or staffs in cooperation with other providers. UAMS is the only adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. U.S. News & World Report recognized UAMS Medical Center as a Best Hospital for 2021-22; ranked its ear, nose and throat program among the top 50 nationwide for the third year; and named five areas as high performing — colon cancer surgery, diabetes, hip replacement, knee replacement and stroke. Forbes magazine ranked UAMS as seventh in the nation on its Best Employers for Diversity list. UAMS also ranked in the top 30% nationwide on Forbes’ Best Employers for Women list and was the only Arkansas employer included. UAMS has 2,876 students, 898 medical residents and six dental residents. It is the state’s largest public employer with more than 10,000 employees, including 1,200 physicians who provide care to patients at UAMS, its regional campuses, Arkansas Children’s, the VA Medical Center and Baptist Health. Visit www.uams.edu or www.uamshealth.com. Find us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or Instagram.
The UAMS Northwest Regional Campus includes 290 medical, pharmacy, nursing and health professions students, 64 medical and pharmacy residents, two sports medicine fellows, and 1,000 community-based faculty. The campus has nine clinics including a student-led clinic and physical, occupational and speech therapy. Faculty conduct research to reduce health disparities. Visit www.uams.edu or www.uamshealth.com. Find us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or Instagram.