Parkview now administering remdesivir as outpatient antiviral treatment

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WPTA) - With new guidance from the FDA, hospitals are pivoting away from certain monoclonal antibody treatments that have been shown to not be effective against the omicron variant of COVID-19.

Parkview Health’s VP of Pharmacy Chris Jellison says remdesivir, one of the first anti-viral treatments approved to treat COVID-19, is still proving to be 89 percent effective in preventing severe symptoms when a patient is already showing mild or moderate symptoms. With the new FDA guidance, he says Parkview is now administering remdesivir as an outpatient antiviral treatment for COVID-positive patients. Previously, the treatment was only given to hospitalized patients.

However, Jellison says remdesivir requires three times the amount of resources to administer than the previous antibody treatments. To address that, Parkview recently opened a new, larger infusion clinic that offers outpatient treatment.

Even so, doctors say they agree that the best way to stay out of the hospital is to go and get vaccinated.

“Vaccines are truly the best option we have available to protect the health and well-being of our community,” Parkview Health Chief Quality and Safety Officer Dr. Jeffrey Boord said. “If you are already vaccinated, please also ensure you receive your booster vaccine when eligible. Vaccines are available at the Parkview COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic and most retail pharmacies in our region.”

Most insurance providers say they’ll cover remdesivir as an outpatient treatment, but you’ll need to be referred by your healthcare provider. Pfizer and Merck recently received approval for antiviral pills to treat COVID-19, but those are still in very short supply.

For more information on the clinic and answers to frequently asked questions about COVID-19 vaccines, visit parkview.com/covidvaccine.