There are a couple of major COVID-19 developments in the Tri-State.
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At its regular meeting held over video conference Thursday, Vanderburgh County Health Officer Ken Spear told health board members they expect the first doses of the coronavirus vaccine to arrive in Evansville within the next two weeks.
While the various vaccines are still awaiting emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration, Spear said under the county’s vaccine distribution plan, those most at risk and health care providers will get the vaccine first once they're approved.
As they’re gearing up to distribute a coronavirus vaccine, officials are also trying to keep people out of the hospital if possible. Dr. Spear said that the monoclonal antibody treatment known as BAM is proving to work well in treating COVID patients who are at high risk for hospitalization.
However, there are requirements for who can receive the BAM treatment. Deaconess officials said they are proactively referring patients who might qualify for the treatment as they receive positive COVID tests from their testing sites. Dr. Heidi Dunniway with Ascension St. Vincent said they’re doing everything they can to keep the hospitals from exceeding capacity.
“Hopefully, we’ll be able to cut off some of those hospital admissions and take some of the pressure off the hospitals. That should be a very positive process for the whole community,” said Dunniway.
If you have tested positive for COVID-19, you can check if you are eligible for the BAM treatment on the Deaconess website or by calling their COVID triage line at 812-450-6555.
