TREATMENT OFFERED FOR THOSE DIAGNOSED WITH COVID-19

Cough & Fever Clinic is currently a COVID-19 treatment facility and will only treat patients who have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Treatments offered include monoclonal antibody infusions and follow-up appointments for COVID-19 positive patients. The clinic will no longer accept walk-in appointments for COVID-19 testing. Additionally, all COVID-19 treatment appointments must be scheduled prior to arrival.

Cough & Fever Clinic welcomes referrals for all COVID-19 positive patients, including those who received a diagnosis from an outside provider or through their local pharmacy. Patients seen outside of Hattiesburg Clinic must bring a copy or show proof of a positive COVID-19 test result to their appointment.

Curbside COVID-19 Testing will still be available for patients to get tested for COVID-19. Patients can also be tested at Immediate Care, Immediate Care – Carriere, Immediate Care – Petal, Immediate Care – Laurel, or any primary care provider’s office.

For more information, check out the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the Mississippi Department of Health website.

MONOCLONAL ANTIBODY THERAPY AVAILABLE

Monoclonal antibodies, or mAbs, are laboratory-made proteins that help the body fight the virus that causes COVID-19. MAbs infusions can help ease severe COVID-19 symptoms and potentially reduce hospitalizations and deaths. The mAb therapy is the first COVID-19 treatment granted emergency use authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for outpatient use. A Phase 3 clinical trial showed that the antibody therapy reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by up to 70% in patients who received the drug intravenously compared to those who received a placebo.

Patients who have tested positive and developed COVID-19 symptoms within the last 10 days may qualify for this therapy.  Additionally, patients must be at least 12 years old, weigh more than 88 lbs., not require oxygen for COVID-19, and be 65 or older or have at least one qualifying medical condition such as:

• Obesity
• Hypertension or other heart disease
• Diabetes
• Lung disease
• Pregnancy
• Kidney disease
• Sickle cell disease
• Immunosuppressive disease/ therapy
• Neurodevelopmental disorder
• Have medical-related technologic dependence

For people who are at high risk for developing severe COVID-19 illness and have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus or are unvaccinated and have been exposed to someone who has tested positive, this promising mAb treatment has been shown to help prevent progression of the disease that might otherwise require hospitalization.

With the rapid spread of the Delta variant and a major surge in COVID-19 case rates, Hattiesburg Clinic will be offering expanded access to the mAb infusion services. Through a partnership with KPMG, Mississippi State Department of Health and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the clinic has increased its capacity from 100 treatments per week to 277 treatments per week. To learn more about this program, please visit https://crushcovid.com.

These services are now available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. To confirm eligibility for the treatment and to book an appointment, patients can call (601) 261-1533, or if patients have an Iris account, they can log into the patient portal and schedule an appointment.

If administered within 10 days of the onset of COVID-19 symptoms, the one-time therapy is highly effective in neutralizing the virus and preventing symptoms from worsening. The emergency use authorization provides information on eligibility for mAb treatment. The infusion treatment can take from 20-70 minutes, with an observation time afterward. Treatment is offered regardless of immigration status, health insurance coverage, or ability to pay.