Johnston Health hits road to provide antibody treatment to those with COVID

The Federal Emergency Management Agency and the North Carolina National Guard are setting up a clinic near the Johnston County Health Department in Smithfield, which should be operational by Wednesday. FEMA helping staff similar sites in Cumberland, Harnett, Robeson, Wilkes and Cherokee counties.

People who test positive for the coronavirus and have had COVID-19 symptoms for fewer than 10 days will be able to get monoclonal antibody treatments to help get better faster and not end up crowding any hospitals, such as nearby Johnston Health.

The Smithfield hospital has been full for weeks and was treating 37 patients with COVID-19 on Monday.

"Monoclonal injections are really a therapy for those that have become positive with the COVID virus," said Ruth Marler, Johnston Health's chief operating officer, noting that vaccines help ward off the coronavirus altogether. "The most effective treatment for the COVID-positive is to get those monoclonal antibodies as quickly as possible – within the first seven days."

Johnston hospitals have 70 COVID patients - only 1 has been vaccinated

The steady flow of infected patients into the hospital prompted the Johnston Health Foundation to raise funds to buy a mobile clinic, which has been deployed to Benson to offer similar antibody treatments to residents there.

"[We're out] sooner than we had thought, but this is what it’s meant for," said Sol Halliburton, the foundation's executive director. "We want to make a difference. We want to make sure we address the need today."

Johnston County recorded 4,460 new coronavirus infections over the last month.

"It really has become overwhelming and taxing not only for our physical environment, but for our staff, who really are fatigued and tired," Marler said. "It’s really important that we prevent patients from being hospitalized, and, more importantly, once they’re put on the ventilator, their recovery can be very long, and lives are lost."

Inside the bus, nurses provide up to four people at a time the Regeneron antibody therapy. Patients receive four injections and have to wait an hour for observation.

"The viral load overwhelms what your natural immune system can do, which is why patients get so sick so quickly. So, what we’re able to do by giving this [is] it gives your body the immunity it should be building on its own but at a much faster rate," said Ashley Luckett, clinical supervisor at Benson Health, a primary care medical practice that is staffing the mobile unit.

"We have heard patients the next day saying they already felt better," Luckett said.

Johnston Health nurse Lindsey Tart urged people in her hometown of Benson to get on board both the mobile unit and with the idea of fighting the virus.

"If you are experiencing the symptoms, the quicker you get in and get the antibody injections, the better off you are," Tart said. "We’re trying to keep you out of the hospital. We’re trying to get you well."

The mobile unit operates 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, while the FEMA site has the same hours seven days a week.

"This is 70% effective at keeping people out of the hospital and 96% effective at keeping people from dying from this virus. So, anything we can do to get it to them, we’re going to get it to them," Luckett said.