A treatment that is helping keep some COVID patients out of hospitals could soon be in short supply in Alabama.
"I did receive word from our hospital here, as well as you know, an urgent care clinic that is providing a good number of monoclonal antibody treatment throughout this area, and they are expecting to not have any more as of this upcoming Sunday. Which puts us in a bad predicament," said Dr. Aruna Arora, president of the Medical Association of the State of Alabama, said of monoclonal antibody treatment.
WAAY-31 talked to one woman who got the infusion treatment after getting the virus, and she says it's made an improvement in her health.
The woman told us it helped her get better faster and to stay out of the hospital.
"As sick as we were, I don't think we had the lung complications and the breathing complications we would have had if we would have not been vaccinated," said Kimberly Morton.
Last Tuesday, Morton got her infusion treatment after she and her husband tested positive for COVID-19.
Morton had to wait nearly 10 days to get the monoclonal antibody treatment.
Dr. Karen Landers, Madison County's Health Officer, she told us the 10-day window is to allow space and time for scheduling.
"But recognizing that some people may have symptoms for two or three days before they go and get tested and then, obviously, we have to have persons access the monoclonal center," said Dr. Landers.
Even though the treatment is proven to be effective against the virus, Dr. Landers is says you still​​ need to be vaccinated and wear your mask.
"It'll be in your body for about 90 days and then they're going to go away, so we still need ongoing protection with the immune system," she said.
As health professionals continue to encourage people to get vaccinated, Morton, who is fully vaccinated, says take it from her and stay alive.
"After having close friends and relatives, that weren't vaccinated, that I watched die with COVID last year, we made a decision that we would go ahead get it," she said.
There's a very specific group of people who can get the monoclonal infusion and even though Alabama is distributing it now, you have to get a referral from your doctor.
