Queen’s North Hawai’i Community Hospital is expanding the use of Regeneron’s REGEN-COV2, a combination of two monoclonal antibodies. This intravenous treatment is provided on an outpatient basis to COVID patients; studies show that it can reduce the chances of hospitalization and death by up to 70 percent, as well as shorten the duration of symptoms. Initial doses have been successfully given in the QNHCH emergency room; QNHCH has dedicated a clinic to this new treatment and there is ample stock nationwide.
The Regeneron product is authorized for individuals 12 and over with mild to moderate COVID-19 who are not hospitalized and don’t need supplemental oxygen. The treatment is effective within 10 days after symptoms appear, which is why it is critical that people seek treatment as soon as they receive a positive test result. For the therapy to be most effective, it needs to be taken as soon as possible. Receiving treatment earlier, when symptoms are less severe, may help prevent progression of the disease that would otherwise require hospitalization.
It can also be given preventatively to people exposed to the coronavirus and who are at high risk of serious consequences. A large clinical trial that found the antibodies prevented symptoms in household contacts of people who recently tested positive.
“When the pandemic started, there was no specific treatment for COVID-19. With monoclonal antibody therapy, there is now an easy treatment that takes only 2-3 hours to help prevent severe symptoms and hospitalization,” said Cindy Kamikawa, President, QNHCH. “This therapy can be extremely effective, but it is not a replacement for vaccination. We still need everyone to get vaccinated to break the virus’ chain of transmission.”
For mild to moderate COVID-19, monoclonal antibodies are available within 10 days to those who:
- Are high risk for developing severe COVID-19 and
- Have a positive COVID-19 test and have not yet been admitted to the hospital and
- Are 12 years of age or older (and at least 88 pounds
For post-exposure prevention, monoclonal antibodies are available within 10 days to those who:
- Have been exposed and
- Are at high risk for developing severe COVID-19 and
- Are 12 years of age or older (and at least 88 pounds) and
- Not fully vaccinated or vaccinated but immunocompromised
After receiving monoclonal antibody therapy, it is recommended that individuals wait 90 days before receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. If someone already received the first dose of vaccine before monoclonal antibody therapy, current CDC guidelines recommends waiting 90 days before receiving the second dose.
For more information or to be screened to see if you are a candidate for monoclonal therapy, please call the QNHCH Monoclonal Clinic at 881-4833.
