WARMC Receives Assistance From HHS for COVID-19 Treatments
8/10/2021
BULLHEAD CITY – Due to a significant increase in cases of Covid-19 in the local area, the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services has deployed a team of medical professionals to assist clinical staff at Western Arizona Regional Medical Center.
The team of seven from the National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) arrived at WARMC over the weekend to help with care for COVID-19-positive patients who are not hospitalized by providing monoclonal antibody infusions (MAB).
“This infusion therapy is for at-risk patients, to help keep them from needing hospitalization,” said Waheed Zehri, M.D., who is serving as the medical director for this mission. “This treatment is important to reduce the severity of the illness in eligible patients and also to help reduce the strain our local hospitals are experiencing.”
Receiving an infusion within 10 days of a COVID-positive test has been shown to decrease the need for hospitalization of high-risk COVID-19 patients with mild to moderate symptoms.
Teams from the National Disaster Medical System have been deployed to two Arizona hospitals, Western Arizona Regional Medical Center and Kingman Regional Medical Center, following the rise in COVID-19 cases in Mohave County. The county currently has a 19% positivity rate.
The NDMS team at WARMC has the ability to provide treatment to eight patients every two hours. Those seeking an infusion can call the medical center to schedule an appointment at (928) 763-2273.
Monoclonal antibodies mimic the body’s immune system response COVID-19. Infusions are available to eligible patients 12 years and older who have had mild to moderate symptoms of COVID-19 in the last 10 days and have tested positive for COVID-19; or are a not fully vaccinated individual who has been in close contact with a Covid-positive person. Eligible patients must also have one or more of the following risk factors:
- Any medical condition or other factor, including race or ethnicity, that puts you at higher risk of progression to severe COVID-19
- Age 65 or over
- Obesity or being overweight
- Pregnancy
- Chronic kidney disease
- Diabetes
- Immunosuppressive disease or immunosuppressive treatment
- Cardiovascular disease or hypertension
- Chronic lung diseases
- Sickle cell disease
For information, call WARMC at (928) 763-2273.
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