Minnesota Expands Access To Monoclonal Antibody Treatments

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — Amid a COVID-19 surge, the state of Minnesota and one of its largest healthcare providers are expanding access to monoclonal antibody treatments, Gov. Tim Walz’s office announced Tuesday.

The Minnesota Department of Health and M Health Fairview will significantly increase the number of monoclonal antibody treatments, an outpatient infusion for patients at greater risk of hospitalization or death with moderate to mild COVID-19 symptoms from the last 10 days. While the treatment eases symptoms, it is not a substitute for the COVID-19 vaccine, health professionals warn.

MDH will expand hours and capacity at its St. Paul clinic, and has requested additional staff support from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for the state’s central region.

Meanwhile, M Health Fairview will add about 300 appointments for monoclonal antibody treatment at its new monoclonal antibody clinic in Columbia Heights, which opened Tuesday.

MDH will also add an additional 140 appointments a week at the clinic, according to the governor’s news release. The new clinic will expand the state health care system’s capacity to provide the monoclonal antibody treatment by about 80 percent, according to a news release from M Health Fairview.

Minnesota has already administered about 2,000 doses a week of the treatment since early October, which has increased to 2,599 treatments the week of Nov. 10-16, according to the governor’s office. The new additions will increase the capacity for monoclonal antibody treatments in the Twin Cities area by about 50%, according to the governor’s office.

Minnesota is reporting 37 newly-reported COVID-19 deaths and 11,455 newly-reported positive COVID-19 tests, according to a Tuesday MDH report. The state is seeing on average 20,000 new cases each week, according to M Health Fairview.

“From the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve worked hard to protect the health and safety of Minnesotans at every turn,” Governor Walz said in a statement. “That’s why we’re working to expand access to monoclonal antibody COVID-19 treatments for Minnesotans, strengthening our efforts to get Minnesotans across the state the resources they need to fight this virus.”

Patients who have tested positive for COVID-19 seeking monoclonal antibody treatments must make an appointment through the online Minnesota Resource Allocation Platform (MNRAP), which will let them know if they are eligible for the treatment, and the nearest clinic offering appointments. Providers can also schedule an appointment here. Walk-ins will not be accepted.

For further information, visit the MDH website or call the COVID-19 Public Hotline at 1-833-431-2053 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday.