Clay County Public Health and EMS working to establish Regeneron COVID-19 Monoclonal Antibody Treatment facility

Clay County Leadership announce that a Regeneron COVID-19 Monoclonal Antibody Treatment facility will open soon to serve our citizens. “Staff has been working tirelessly over the past few weeks to make this facility a reality, utilizing existing space and resources, while partnering with state officials and departments to ensure adequate supplies and materials,” according to a news release from the county.

As the first of its kind facility in North Carolina, Clay County is leading the way on a local government level in being proactive to address the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and recent surge of the Delta variant. While hospitals have begun administering similar treatments, to date, no counties in North Carolina have taken the initiative to implement their own program.

County Manager Debbie Mauney, EMS and Emergency Management Director Ricky Lancaster, Interim Health Director Clarissa Rogers, Clay County Community Paramedic Ben English, Clay County EMS Training Officer and Chatuge Family Practice Community Paramedic Jeff Ledford and Senior Center Director Becky Grindstaff have been spearheading the planning and implementation of the facility.

"Our primary goal is to provide a pro-active treatment for our citizens to minimize the potential seriousness and side effects which can arise from COVID-19,” said Commission Chairman Dr. Rob Peck. “Simultaneously, we want to keep mild and moderately symptomatic patients from resulting in hospitalizations which will help relieve some of the stress on our local facilities."

Regeneron was authorized for emergency use as a post exposure prevention for COVID-19 in November. Community Paramedic Jeff Ledford said,  "The treatment provides an immediate boost to the immune system, helping reduce the chances that a patient will develop serious complications."

According to the news release, early studies have shown that when given within 10 days of initial symptoms, hospitalizations and deaths may be decreased by nearly 70 percent. Secondary transmission to other household members may also be greatly reduced. That said, the treatment is not for everyone, with prospective patients needing to meet certain criteria and having a referral from their primary care provider.

Through a series of meetings and conference calls, the team got an agreement through the North Carolina State EMS to be a pilot program, while also partnering with State Emergency Management which  has helped provide the initial equipment and supplies to establish the clinic. "This is great for our community and I'm so happy this came together so quickly,” said Lancaster. “ The cooperation between our departments, the state and our regional partners coupled with the overwhelming support of our board of commissioners is what has made this a reality."

"Our frontline workers have remained totally committed to the health and welfare of our citizens. Reality is, our hospitals are above capacity and our local EMS resources are stretched thin. We are confident that we can help reduce some of that stress by implementing the infusion therapy," added Rogers.

Plans are being finalized and the team has begun to reach out to local providers in accordance with state requirements for ordering and administering the therapy.

Community Paramedic Ben English said, "We are thrilled to offer this service to our community and excited to grow this program over the next few weeks."

County Manager Debbie Mauney added, "We are excited to be at the forefront of this in western North Carolina. We hope to be a model for the state and other local governments. Our hope is to grow this into a collaborative effort by bringing in additional partners and neighboring counties."

Peck said, “We have seen the ongoing sacrifice of our EMS and healthcare personnel and we are forever grateful for their service to our communities. We hope we can continue to grow our partnerships with our local hospitals and providers in helping them through these tough times. Our board of commissioners is extremely grateful for our county leadership and staff in making this program a reality. We can't thank them enough for all they do in service to our county."

Additional details will be forthcoming as to specifics related to the Regeneron COVID-19 Monoclonal Antibody Treatments, to include location, hours of operation and indications for treatment. It is anticipated that this service will become available some time next week, according to the release.