BY NELSON A. KING
One Brooklyn Health (OBH)
is offering antibody treatment
to help reduce the chance of
hospitalization and death from
the COVID-19 virus.
Dr. Patrick T. Lee, chair
of Medicine at One Brooklyn
Health — which encompasses
Kingsbrook, Interfaith and
Brookdale hospitals in Brooklyn
— told Brooklyn Paper’s
sister publication Caribbean
Life, in an exclusive interview
on Monday, that Monocloponal
Antibody Therapy is a
“potentially life-saving treatment
that reduces the risk
of hospitalization and death
from COVID for high-risk patients,
ideally within the fi rst
few days after symptoms develop
and before they get ill.
“It’s shown to be effective
when given early,” said Dr.
Lee, stating that the fi rst evidence
of the effectiveness of
the treatment was in January,
when a “defi nitive study”
was done by the New England
Journal of Medicine, “which
shows it highly reduces death.
“It’s a synthetic antibody,”
he added. “The vaccine helps
to develop antibody.”
Dr. Lee said this therapy
was available in Brookdale
Emergency Room, and that not
many people were getting it.
Dr. Lee said patients are very
happy with antibody treatment,
adding that “it’s a very
popular treatment, and patient
outcome is very good.
“Dozens of patients have
been treated in this fashion,”
he said. “If they didn’t get the
infusion, some of those patients
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will get sicker.”
The chair of Medicine said
Monoclonal Antibody Treatment
is available to individuals
who are confi rmed COVID
positive; high risk for progression
to COVID; and symptomatic
but not seriously ill, that
is, not sick enough to be hospitalized
or require increased
oxygen support.
In addition, he said the
treatment is available as a
preventive treatment to individuals
who are not fully vaccinated
and exposed to someone
with COVID; or are fully
vaccinated but have a weakened
immune system from a
disease or medications they
are taking and are exposed to
someone with COVID.
Dr. Lee said high risk categories
include: 65 years or
older; obesity (body mass index
– BMI >25); pregnancy;
diabetes, chronic heart, kidney
or lung disease; weakened
immune system from disease
or medications; smoking (current
or former); and active
substance use.
“Kingsbrook is the place
for this treatment,” Dr. Lee
said. “It’s also offered at other
hospitals. It’s important to emphasis
that high risk is the
most important things.
Dr. Lee, who was recently
Dr. Patrick T. Lee, chair of Medicine at One Brooklyn Health. Courtesy Dr.
Patrick Lee
named as the fi rst Chairman
of Medicine for One Brooklyn
Health, said he has dedicated
his career to solving two problems:
helping individuals and
teams reach their fullest potential,
and creating health
systems that deliver the “safe,
kind and timely care that patients
deserve.”
He said he is honored to join
OBH and aims to make a “direct
and meaningful contribution
to racial justice through better
health for OBH’s patients and
the communities it serves.”
As Chairman of Medicine at
Mass General Brigham Salem
Hospital, Dr. Lee led the Department
of Medicine response
to the highest COVID-19 patient
volume among community hospitals
in Massachusetts, resulting
in over 2100 patients discharged
alive with an overall
mortality rate of 8.5 percent.
Health
One Brooklyn Health offers
COVID antibody treatment
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