Infusion therapy helping keep COVID-19 hospitalizations down as case numbers increase

SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — Seminole County activated its emergency operations center once again because of an influx in COVID-19 cases.

The majority of those infected are unvaccinated individuals.

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Seminole County Emergency Manager Alan Harris said hospitalizations are also on the rise but they could actually be higher if not for infusion therapy.

Health officials have been referring COVID-19 positive patients to get monoclonal antibody infusion. It’s the same thing former President Donald Trump took to recover after he got COVID-19 last year.

READ: Report shows Florida accounts for 20% of new COVID-19 cases in the US

“In some cases, we have been able to get individuals assessed and into monoclonal antibody infusion, and they feel much, much better only a couple of days later. That keeps them out of the hospitals so that the hospital systems’ numbers aren’t increasing as fast,” Harris said.

True Health started up an infusion center on U.S. Highway 17-92 in April. They treated 11 people in their heaviest month, but so far in July, they’ve already treated 15 patients.

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Dr. Karenna Senors, chief medical officer for True Health, said most patients feel better within 48 hours after, but the therapy should not be a substitute for the COVID-19 vaccine.