Anderson County EMS hosts COVID-19 monoclonal therapy clinics

Anderson County Emergency Medical Services is hosting monoclonal antibody therapy clinics for Anderson County residents who need the treatment after having contracted the COVID-19 virus.

Anderson County EMS, also known as the "ambulance service," has been approved by the state of Tennessee to provide the antibody injections. The therapy is being offered at no-cost, as long as the supply of the medication is available and on hand, according to EMS Director Nathan Sweet.

So far, the clinics have treated two patients, and neither patient has experienced complications, Sweet said.

The clinics currently are at 9 a.m. Monday through Friday, and may expand if the need arises, he said.

“We are not accepting any drive-up patients. You do have to have an appointment,” Sweet added.

Monoclonal antibody therapy is not a vaccine. It is a treatment that can help the body produce antibodies for itself in people who have tested positive for COVID-19 within the last 10 days.

All potential monoclonal therapy recipients must be pre-approved by a physician, who must fill out and submit the necessary paperwork to EMS at a minimum of 24 hours before the treatment is scheduled to be administered. The antibody treatment will not be administered without all paperwork having been completed by a physician. The paperwork can be found on the Anderson County EMS website at https://www.andersonems.com.

“I'm very proud of our EMS Team for setting up this treatment option for our citizens. They have gone above and beyond and are appreciated enormously,” Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank said.

“We want to the thank the state of Tennessee for approving our ACEMS program and making the injections available for citizens. We especially want to thank our Anderson County Board of Commissioners for authorizing the program, and also authorizing the use of our Senior Center parking lot to make this important treatment possible," she said.

The clinics are being conducted under a tent in the parking lot at the Anderson County Office on Aging and Senior Center, located at 96 Mariner Point Drive in Clinton. You must be a resident of Anderson County to receive the antibody therapy from EMS.

Those who have appointments will be contacted by an EMS employee the day before your scheduled appointment time to explain the process that will occur.

There are no bathroom facilities available for use at the clinic site; patients will stay in their vehicles during the entire treatment and observation period, which can take up to two hours.

Leean Tupper is the assistant to Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank.

This article originally appeared on Oakridger: Anderson Co. EMS hosts COVID-19 monoclonal therapy clinics