Virtua Offers Rare Treatment For Coronavirus Cases

Virtua Health is now offering a rare treatment for non-hospitalized, high-risk patients who are battling mild to moderate cases of the coronavirus, the health system announced Tuesday morning.

Virtua has provided bamlanivimab, a coronavirus treatment that makes use of monoclonal antibodies, to nearly 100 patients since December, according to the health system.

“We’re very proud to be among the first in our region to offer this exciting new therapy,” Virtua Health Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Dr. John Matsinger said. “Early studies suggest that bamlanivimab may resolve symptoms more quickly and possibly reduce progression of disease and associated hospitalizations. Further studies are ongoing regarding its use and effectiveness, but we are glad to have this treatment option as part of our larger toolkit for caring for those with COVID-19.”

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Monoclonal antibodies are lab-made proteins that mimic the immune system’s response, according to Virtua. Bamlanivimab is specifically designed to prevent the coronavirus from entering human cells.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized bamlanivimab for emergency use, according to Virtua. Therefore, there is restrictive criteria for who can use it. Virtua obtained its doses from the state Department of Health.

Those eligible for bamlanivimab include people who are not hospitalized and have mild to moderate cases of the coronavirus, plus one or more risk factors such as BMI (body mass index) of 35 or higher, chronic kidney disease, diabetes, immunosuppressive disease or receiving immunosuppressive treatment, age 65 or older, or age 55 or older with certain chronic conditions.

It is necessary to treat those early in their infection with this medication — within two to three days of developing symptoms for it to have its greatest impact and effectiveness, according to Virtua.

During a clinical trial, the most commonly reported side effects of bamlanivimab included

nausea, diarrhea, dizziness, headache, pruritus, and vomiting, according to the FDA. Clinical trials are ongoing, so it is possible not all side effects have been identified.

Virtua is providing the medication at a time when both The Washington Post and The New York Times have reported that many “overburdened hospitals” are not offering the treatment due to logistical challenges.

About one out of every five hospital beds in New Jersey is occupied by a patient being treated for the coronavirus, according to the latest federal data. Read more here: 1 In 5 NJ Hospital Beds Occupied By COVID-19 Patients: See Where

Below is the information for Virtua’s hospitals, including their percentage of inpatient beds occupied by COVID-19 patients, followed by the total occupancy including all patients:

• VIRTUA WEST JERSEY HOSPITALS VOORHEES, VOORHEES 22.61%; 63.58 %;
• VIRTUA OUR LADY OF LOURDES HOSPITAL, CAMDEN 18.18%; 65 %;
• VIRTUA WILLINGBORO HOSPITAL, WILLINGBORO 15.33%; 57.75 %; and
• VIRTUA MEMORIAL HOSPITAL OF BURLINGTON COUNTY, MOUNT HOLLY 14.10%; 61.51 %.

With reporting by Tom Davis, Patch Staff