By Ruth Ogunsanwo
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer
An estimated 99% of Howard County residents 75 and older, and 90% of those 65-plus have been vaccinated, Howard County Executive Calvin Ball said yesterday.
Despite those numbers, Ball said, county residents must remain diligent in their fight against the disease.
“COVID-19 is still prevalent in our community, and for the many of our residents who are not yet vaccinated, it can cause serious illness,” Ball said.
Ball said Howard County General Hospital is offering an innovative treatment called Monoclonal Antibody Infusion Therapy.
“Having access to this therapy in Howard County is another important step to remove barriers to care and ultimately keep our residents safe,” Ball said.
Monoclonal Antibody is a laboratory-made protein that mimics the immune system ability to fight off harmful pathogens, such as viruses like the one that causes COVID-19. When received within 10 days, it helps prevent worsening symptoms and hospitalization in certain high-risk populations and patients who are positive with COVID-19.
Johns Hopkins Medicine has been providing this treatment in partnership with the University of Maryland medical system at the Baltimore Convention Center, Ball said.
“We strive to make this more convenient for the residents of Howard County and to all our patients to be able to benefit from this therapy being offered locally in the hospital,” HCGH Interim President Shafeeq Ahmed said during the press conference with Ball.
This treatment has been given over a hundred times since it started on Feb. 11, Interim Vice President Jeanette Nazarian said.
“From national and local data, we can tell that we have spared a lot of people illness and hospitalization due to COVID-19,” Nazarian said.
Both medications that are being offered have been authorized by the Food and Drug Administration as emergency use authorization, which is consistent with the national use of Monoclonal Antibodies.