Essentia Health in Detroit Lakes Now Offering Monoclonal Antibody Treatment for COVID Patients

DETROIT LAKES (KDLM) – Essentia Health in Detroit Lakes is now offering monoclonal antibody treatment for high-risk COVID-19 patients.

Monoclonal antibodies are laboratory-made proteins, which mimic the immune system’s ability to fight off harmful pathogens found in viruses. The first monoclonal antibody to receive emergency use authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was bamlanivimab in November 2020. Since that time, other monoclonal antibody treatments have also been authorized for use.

Bonnie Shipman-Banks of Pillager, Minn., said monoclonal antibody treatment helped her get back on her feet. The 61-year-old Shipman-Banks started feeling sick on April 4. Her symptoms included a sore throat, cough and fever. A COVID-19 test came back positive April 8.

“I just thought, ‘No way’. I was kind of in denial,” said Shipman-Banks.

The monoclonal antibody treatment was administered to Shipman-Banks on Friday, April 9, at the Essentia Health St. Joseph’s-Baxter Clinic. Shipman-Banks said her symptoms persisted into Saturday. By Sunday morning, she could tell her body was responding.

“The biggest thing I noticed was I started to feel a little better every single day after receiving the treatment,” she said.

Shipman-Banks was never hospitalized. She said the process was quick, easy and painless. The treatment is administered through an IV. Shipman-Banks said it only took about an hour and a half once she was given the IV.

Health experts say at this time there are enough supplies on hand to utilize the treatment more broadly. Essentia is accepting referrals from all medical providers within and outside of the Essentia system, and offering it to any patient who meets the FDA’s eligibility requirements, including those patients who receive care from an outside health system. It must be given within 10 days of the start of symptoms and as soon as possible after a positive COVID-19 test.