Antibody therapy now available in Windsor-Essex to fight COVID
Doctors can now prescribe monoclonal antibody therapy to prevent mild infection from escalating to a severe case.
“This is an out-patient treatment for people with mild illness,” says Dr. Wassim Saad, chief of staff at Windsor Regional Hospital. “It’s a one-time dose and it’s shown to reduce hospitalization.”
Dr. Saad says they gave the region’s very first dose of sotrovimab on Friday, Jan. 7 which he says is very effective against Omicron.
“This is not a drug that’s meant to be used in hospital,” says Dr. Saad.
“It’s meant to be given within seven days of somebody having a COVID infection and it’s to treat mild infection so that it does not progress to the point where somebody is admitted (to hospital).”
Dr. Saad says, however, there isn’t a lot of the therapy available, and the rules for who can get a dose are very “restrictive.”
“It’s really unvaccinated patients over the age of 50, or if you're fully vaccinated and over the age of 70 and have immuno-compromised status, you would be eligible to receive this treatment,” says Dr. Saad.
For more information, patients can speak with their primary care giver.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Man who set himself on fire outside Trump trial dies of injuries, police say
A man who doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire outside the courthouse where former U.S. President Donald Trump is on trial has died, police said.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.
Saskatoon police to search landfill for remains of woman missing since 2020
Saskatoon police say they will begin searching the city’s landfill for the remains of Mackenzie Lee Trottier, who has been missing for more than three years.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.