COVID-19 Therapeutic Treatments
Mercy Urgent Care is pleased to offer therapeutic treatments for the treatment of mild-to-moderate COVID-19 in adults ages 18 and up with positive COVID-19 test results.
Mercy Urgent Care is one of few providers in Western North Carolina that is currently providing COVID therapeutic treatments. Patients may request or receive a referral for treatment to be administered at Mercy Urgent Care West Asheville. Patients will then be contacted to screen for and schedule the treatment. Patients will be brought into the clinic through a separate entrance and kept in an area separate from the rest of the clinic’s urgent care services. Check with your insurance prior to treatment for coverage information.
The United States FDA has made COVID therapeutic treatments available under an emergency access mechanism called an emergency use authorization (EUA). The EUA is supported by a Secretary of Health and Human Service (HHS) declaration that circumstances exist to justify the emergency use of drugs and biological products during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Prioritization of Patients at Highest Risk of Progression to Severe COVID-19
Due to the increase in cases of COVID-19 and the emergence of the Omicron variant, there is currently a low supply of COVID-19 therapeutics. Anti-SARS-CoV-2 therapeutics are of greatest benefit for nonhospitalized patients who have risk factors for progression to severe COVID-19. The risks for progression are substantially higher for those who are not vaccinated or who are vaccinated but not expected to mount an adequate immune response to the vaccine.
Please note that prevention against COVID-19 with therapeutic treatments is not a substitute for vaccination against COVID-19 and is not authorized for pre-exposure prevention.
The following medical conditions or other factors may place patients at higher risk for progressing to severe COVID-19:
- Older age (for example, age ≥65 years of age)
- Obesity or being overweight (for example, BMI >30)
- Pregnancy
- Chronic kidney disease
- Diabetes
- Immunosuppressive disease or immunosuppressive treatment
- Cardiovascular disease (including congenital heart disease) or hypertension
- Chronic lung diseases (for example, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma [moderate-to-severe], interstitial lung disease, cystic fibrosis and pulmonary hypertension)
- Sickle cell disease
- Neurodevelopmental disorders (for example, cerebral palsy) or other conditions that confer medical complexity (for example, genetic or metabolic syndromes and severe congenital anomalies)
- Having a medical-related technological dependence (for example, tracheostomy, gastrostomy, or positive pressure ventilation (not related to COVID 19)) Other medical conditions or factors (for example, race or ethnicity) may also place individual patients at high risk for progressing to severe COVID-19.
For additional information on medical conditions and factors associated with increased risk for progressing to severe COVID-19, see the CDC website. Healthcare providers should consider the benefit-risk for an individual patient.
Molnupiravir Oral Antiviral Pills
Merck’s oral antiviral treatment, Molnupiravir, is available for the treatment of mild-to-moderate COVID-19 in adults ages 18 and up with positive COVID-19 test results. The five-day treatment course will be available for patients who are at high risk for severe progression, including hospitalization or death, and within five days of symptom onset.
Molnupiravir is not authorized for:
- Use in patients less than 18 years of age
- Use in patients currently hospitalized or requiring hospitalization for COVID-19
- Use longer than five days
- Prevention of COVID-19
- Use during pregnancy
Molnupiravir Treatment Process
- Fill out request form for Molnupiravir treatment
- Patient is contacted for screening and to set up provider visit
- Patient brought into clinic through a separate entrance and kept in an area separate from regular urgent care services. Patient will need to sign consent form
- Patient will be tested for COVID and pregnancy if necessary
- Provider will prescribe oral antiviral pills
Molnupiravir is taken orally as four 200 mg capsules (800 mg) every 12 hours for five days, with or without food. The capsules must be swallowed whole—do not open, break, or crush capsules. If a dose is missed within ten hours of the time it is usually taken, take as soon as possible and resume the normal dose schedule. If a dose is missed by more than ten hours, do not take the missed dose and instead take the dose at the next regularly scheduled time. Treatment must be taken within five days.
The most adverse reactions to Molnupiravir are diarrhea, nausea and dizziness, but are rare. Molnupiravir is not recommended during pregnancy or breastfeeding. A negative pregnancy test is required for patients of childbearing potential (ages 18-50) prior to prescription. Molnupiravir is available to patients at no cost, but patients will be responsible for provider visit and required tests. Check with your insurance prior to treatment for coverage information.
Monoclonal Antibody Infusions
Monoclonal antibodies are laboratory-made proteins that mimic the immune system’s ability to fight off harmful pathogens such as viruses. It’s used to treat mild to moderate symptoms of COVID-19 in non-hospitalized people who are at high risk for developing severe COVID-19 symptoms or the need for hospitalization. It is used for high-risk patients ages 12 and up, but Mercy Urgent Care will only provide infusions to ages 18 and older at this time.
Who qualifies? Patients within 7 days of symptom onset, with positive results of direct SARS-CoV-2 viral testing, and who are at high risk for progressing to severe COVID-19 and/or hospitalization.
What are Monoclonal Antibody Infusions?
- Monoclonal antibodies are laboratory-made proteins that mimic the immune system’s ability to fight off harmful pathogens such as viruses. It’s used to treat mild to moderate symptoms of COVID-19 in non-hospitalized adults who are at high risk for developing severe COVID-19 symptoms or the need for hospitalization
- The infusion is a IV therapy administered in an outpatient or hospital setting that directly neutralizes the COVID-19 virus
- It takes 30 minutes to administer, followed by an hour of observation. Afterwards, you are sent home and should continue isolating
- It is important to receive the treatment as soon as possible following a positive test result and within 7 days of symptom onset
- In clinical trials, those who received this treatment soon after diagnosis experienced fewer symptoms and hospitalizations
Monoclonal Antibody Infusion Process
- Fill out request form for monoclonal antibody treatment.
- Patient is contacted for screening and to set up infusion.
- Day of Infusion:
- Patient brought into clinic through a separate entrance and kept in an area designated for infusions separate from regular urgent care services. Patient will need to sign consent form
- Baseline vitals taken and IV is placed. Patient will be constantly monitored and vitals taken before, during, and after infusion
- After infusion is complete, patient will remain under supervision for 1 hour
Please check with your insurance treatment to see if your policy fully covers the cost of this procedure. Insurance my or may not cover co-pays or cost share based on your individual policy coverage. Mercy Urgent Care will bill you for any portion not covered by insurance.
Bebtelovimeb Infusions
Bebtelovimeb is a monoclonal antibody used for the treatment of high risk COVID-19 positive patients 18 years of age and older. It is given as in injection through a vein (intravenously or through an IV) over a period of 30 seconds.
Bebtelovimeb Infusion Process
- Fill out request form for bebtelovimeb treatment
- Patient is contacted for screening and to set up infusion
- Day of Infusion:
- Patient brought into clinic through a separate entrance and kept in an area designated for infusions separate from regular urgent care services. Patient will need to sign consent form
- Baseline vitals taken and IV is placed. Patient will be constantly monitored and vitals taken before, during, and after infusion
- After infusion is complete, patient will remain under supervision for 1 hour
Resources
- Emergency Use Authorization for Molnupiravir
- “FDA Authorizes Monoclonal Antibodies for Treatment of COVID-19” FDA.gov
- Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
- “Monoclonal Antibodies for COVID-19: What We Know So Far” — Medical News Today
- “Like Somebody Gave Me A Happy Pill” — USA Today
- Frequently asked questions about Bebtelovimeb Infusions
