A new treatment is showing a lot of promise in the fight against COVID-19. One woman and her husband were given monoclonal antibodies through UPMC within days of testing positive for COVID-19 and she said the infusion saved her life. “I feel it was miraculous,” Julie Freeman said.Freeman said when she was walking in the door for her infusion in Monroeville, she had a high fever, chills, a cough and felt like she had a bad flu. “I did feel really sick that was Friday morning and then by Monday my fever, all my symptoms were gone. I was good to go,” Freeman said. Freeman was eligible for the monoclonal antibody treatment because she has a preexisting condition that qualifies her, despite not being 65 or older. Doctors at UPMC said they have now given more than 1,000 patients the treatment that has proven to cut hospitalization and death by nearly 70%.“What they are is copies of antibodies that seek out the COVID-19 virus in your body and block it from infecting your cells and replicating. So essentially, we’re giving your immune system a leg up on the virus before it can take hold and wreak havoc,” UPMC Dr. Erin McCreary said.Doctors said the monoclonal antibodies work best within 10 days of a positive test. “You don’t have to be really sick to get monoclonal antibody therapies. In fact, we want you to get your treatment earlier, particularly when your symptoms are milder,” UPMC Dr. Donald Yealy said.Doctors said to spread the word on this treatment because many people aren’t aware of it. Freeman said her doctor wasn’t, but fortunately, she was. UPMC doctors say if you believe you qualify for the treatment and if you tested positive for COVID-19 in the past several days, call for an appointment. The treatment is free.
MONROEVILLE, Pa. —
A new treatment is showing a lot of promise in the fight against COVID-19.
One woman and her husband were given monoclonal antibodies through UPMC within days of testing positive for COVID-19 and she said the infusion saved her life.
“I feel it was miraculous,” Julie Freeman said.
Freeman said when she was walking in the door for her infusion in Monroeville, she had a high fever, chills, a cough and felt like she had a bad flu.
“I did feel really sick that was Friday morning and then by Monday my fever, all my symptoms were gone. I was good to go,” Freeman said.
Freeman was eligible for the monoclonal antibody treatment because she has a preexisting condition that qualifies her, despite not being 65 or older.
Doctors at UPMC said they have now given more than 1,000 patients the treatment that has proven to cut hospitalization and death by nearly 70%.
“What they are is copies of antibodies that seek out the COVID-19 virus in your body and block it from infecting your cells and replicating. So essentially, we’re giving your immune system a leg up on the virus before it can take hold and wreak havoc,” UPMC Dr. Erin McCreary said.
Doctors said the monoclonal antibodies work best within 10 days of a positive test.
“You don’t have to be really sick to get monoclonal antibody therapies. In fact, we want you to get your treatment earlier, particularly when your symptoms are milder,” UPMC Dr. Donald Yealy said.
Doctors said to spread the word on this treatment because many people aren’t aware of it. Freeman said her doctor wasn’t, but fortunately, she was.
UPMC doctors say if you believe you qualify for the treatment and if you tested positive for COVID-19 in the past several days, call for an appointment. The treatment is free.