New Online Referral Portal Lets Maryland Physicians Refer COVID Patients For Monoclonal Antibody Treatments
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WJZ) — A new online referral portal will allow Maryland physicians to refer COVID-19 patients for monoclonal antibody treatment at certain locations across the state, the Maryland Department of Health announced Wednesday.
The department said they are "actively encouraging" physicians and patients to consider the treatment which they say has been shown to reduce the severity of symptoms and could prevent people with mild or moderate symptoms to need to be hospitalized.
The new online referral portal goes through CRISP, the state's electronic health information exchange.
"While the distribution of vaccines is a top priority, monoclonal antibody treatments are another tool that can help patients fight COVID-19. Monoclonal antibody treatments can reduce patients' symptoms and help prevent hospital admissions," said Acting MDH Secretary Dennis R. Schrader. "I encourage patients who have been diagnosed recently with COVID-19 to talk to a physician and see if a monoclonal antibody treatment is appropriate for them."
The Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency use authorization to allow the use of monoclonal antibodies to treat mild or moderate COVID-19 symptoms in adult and pediatric patients.
Monoclonal antibodies are laboratory-made proteins that mimic natural antibodies' ability to fight viruses such as COVID-19. They do not contain the virus that causes COVID-19.
The treatment is available to Marylanders who are at high risk of becoming seriously ill from COVID-19. That includes people over 65-years-old or who have certain chronic medical conditions. The treatment is a single, one-hour intravenous infusion, with at least an hour of observation after, the state health department said.
You can get the treatment at certain hospitals or other health care providers including:
● Adventist HealthCare Takoma Park
● Atlantic General Hospital
● Baltimore Convention Center Field Hospital
● MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center
● Meritus Health
● Peninsula Regional-Tidal Health
● UPMC Western Maryland
Physicians wishing to refer a patient for a monoclonal antibody treatment through CRISP's new referral tool can find instructions and additional resources at coronavirus.maryland.gov.
Frequently asked questions about monoclonal antibody treatment for COVID-19 are available at covidLINK.maryland.gov.
For the latest information on coronavirus go to the Maryland Health Department's website or call 211. You can find all of WJZ's coverage on coronavirus in Maryland here.