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Monoclonal therapy urged for high-risk patients

People at high risk for COVID-19 complications should seek monoclonal antibody therapy immediately if they test positive, according to the health department.

JONATHAN SIMMONS

NEWS EDITOR

Monoclonal antibody therapy for COVID-19 is free and increasingly available — with a new site opening last week in Ormond Beach — and people with COVID-19 who are in the high-risk category should use it, according to the health department.

“Anybody who is high risk for complications from COVID, who gets tested positive, should get those as soon as they can — even if they’re vaccinated,” Florida Department of Health Medical Director Dr. Stephen Bickel said on Flagler Broadcasting’s “Free For All Friday” on Aug. 27. “It’s been shown to cut hospitalizations down by 75%, which is huge.”

For people who’ve tested positive, he said, the sooner they can begin monoclonal antibody therapy, the better.

“It’s that race against time: You get them the first day you get diagnosed, you’ve got a head start on it,” he said.

Bickel said that monoclonal antibodies work by speeding the body’s response to the virus. The process used to require IV infusions, he said, but can now be done with a set of shots.

Layered precautions — vaccination, masks, and then, for people who test positive and are high-risk, monoclonal antibody therapy — offer the best protection, Bickel added.

County Commissioner Joe Mullins credited monoclonal antibody therapy with his rapid

JUDGE RULES AGAINST DESANTIS ON MASK MANDATES

Ruling that Gov. Ron DeSantis overstepped his constitutional authority, a Leon County circuit judge on Friday sided with a group of parents in a high-profile lawsuit challenging DeSantis’ July 30 executive order that sought to bar school districts from requiring students to wear masks.

The ruling came as coronavirus cases are increasing in schools across the state, prompting student quarantines by the thousands in some districts. Ten districts have defied the governor’s order, enacting mask mandates with exceptions only for medical reasons.

Circuit Judge John Cooper issued an injunction barring the state Department of Education, Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran and the State Board of Education from enforcing DeSantis’ order.

DeSantis on Thursday promised to appeal if Cooper ruled against the state. But Friday’s decision marked a legal setback in the governor’s efforts to prevent mask requirements as COVID-19 cases surge because of the delta variant.

50 Town Ct Palm Coast, FL 32164 recovery from COVID-19 last week: The therapy involved one shot in each arm and two in the stomach, then an hours’ wait at the treatment center to ensure he was OK, he said on the radio program.

“Four hours later, I was not feeling the symptoms,” he said. “The next day, I did a home test; I tested negative for COVID.” He continued testing negative for the next two days. “I am COVIDfree,” he said.

High-risk people who have been exposed to someone with the virus can also take monoclonal antibody therapy preventatively to decrease the likelihood of catching COVID-19: The treatment has been shown to decrease patients’ odds of infection by more than 80%, according to the Florida Department of Health.

In addition to the monoclonal antibody therapy center in Ormond Beach, others are available in Jacksonville, High Springs and Orlando, among other Florida cities.

See a full list of sites, and instructions for setting an appointment, on the Department of Health’s website, at: https://floridahealthcovid19. gov/monoclonal-antibodytherapy/.

LOCAL SURGE HINDERS CONTACT-TRACING EFFORTS

Flagler County recorded 936 positive COVID-19 cases last week, up from a previous weekly high of 731.

“We ... have five lines right now across our parking lot of people waiting [for testing] — that’s probably well over 100 cars waiting right now,” Florida Department of Health-Flagler Communications Manager Gretchen Smith said on the radio program. “This is not a good week for Flagler County.”

The health department is shortstaffed, she said, making contacttracing difficult. In the last couple of weeks, since schools reopened, about 400 children have tested positive, requiring DOH staff to reach out to about 1,600 of those students’ close contacts.

“If your child is a close contact of someone who tested positive, please be patient: Our contact tracers are working ridiculous hours trying to keep up with the demand for testing,” Smith said. At the testing site, she said, “Bring something to read or keep entertained, because the lines are long and you’re going to have to wait.”

Although the number of positive cases is higher than it was last week, the positivity rate has decreased, from about 25% to about 20%, Smith said.

The vaccination rate has also started rising — the county’s overall vaccination rate had plateaued at around 60% for several weeks, and has now risen to 66%, Smith said — but it’s still not as high as it should be.

While there are long lines for testing, there are not long lines for the free COVID-19 vaccinations offered through the health department.

Smith said she’d been talking to a local doctor at the hospital the other day, and had asked him what the hardest part of his job was.

“And he said, ‘Talking to people, talking to parents, seeing their kid on a vent, seeing their kid on an ECMO, and saying, ‘Gosh, I wish I had opted to get them vaccinated.’”

We’re HALFWAY

Carla Cline delivers 450 gift cards to AdventHealth workers, nearly halfway to the goal of 1,000. there

BRIAN MCMILLAN EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Carla Cline’s goal was to turn the negative energy surrounding the pandemic into something positive, and according to leaders at AdventHealth Palm Coast, it worked.

Exhausted, overwhelmed staff at the hospital gathered outside the Emergency Department on Aug. 30 for a prayer and a handoff: Cline delivered 450 $20 gift cards, purchased from local restaurants, along with thank you cards. The effort will continue until 1,000 cards are collected. “It’s a blessing for us when our staff is appreciated,” said Ron Jimenez, hospital CEO. “Lately it becomes difficult just because they’ve seen so many folks critically ill and passing away, and that makes it very difficult for health care providers, when it doesn't seem like there’s an end to it.”

When a patient is in the hospital for many days, the nurses get to know them well.

“They almost become like a part of the family,” Jimenez said. “The passing of patient can be very tough on staff. If you’re having multiple of those in a short period of time, it can be very difficult.”

Photo by Brian McMillan Carla Cline, the owner of Flagler Surf Art and Stuff and the website www.flaglersurf.com, said she has since heard of other people taking up the same idea for health care workers in Orlando, Brandon and Palatka.

ADVENTHEALTH RESUMES LIMITED, URGENT OUTPATIENT PROCEDURES

Effective Sept. 1, facilities in AdventHealth’s Central Florida division will improve from “Black” to “Red Status.” While AdventHealth is still treating a significant number of COVID-19 patients, admissions continue to slow, leading to an improved outlook. Under Red Status:  New surgical procedures are reduced to maximize efficiency;  Only outpatient procedures with a same-day discharges are scheduled;  Non-time-sensitive elective surgeries are deferred;  Non-time-sensitive or non-emergent procedures must be approved by chief medical officer;  Outpatient surgery sites and pediatric surgeries continue as normal.

WANT TO HELP?

The effort will continue until the goal of 1,000 is reached. To donate, buy a $20 gift card for a Flagler County restaurant, write a nice note inside, and drop it off at one of the locations below during their normal business hours, or contact organizer Carla Cline on Facebook Messenger or email flaglersurf.com@gmail.com.

DROP-OFF LOCATIONS:

 Flagler Surf Art and Stuff, 211 S. Third St., Flagler Beach  Wild Birds Unlimited, 150 Palm Coast Parkway NE, Palm Coast  Intracoastal Bank, 1290 Palm Coast Parkway NW, Palm Coast  Flagler Auditorium, 5500 State Road 100, Palm Coast

Wally De Aquino, chief operating officer for the hospital, was impressed with the large number of gift cards.

“It means the community cares,” he said.

Staff emotions are close to the surface. De Aquino said that a week ago a church group came to sing to the staff, and nurses “started crying because they were going through so much.”

LOCALS WAVE, HONK IN DRIVE-BY PROCESSION TO SHOW APPRECIATION FOR ADVENTHEALTH STAFF

JONATHAN SIMMONS

NEWS EDITOR

Locals honked and waved, and deputies in cruisers activated their lights, as community members circled AdventHealth Palm Coast in a health care appreciation drive-by event on Aug. 27.

The Rotary Club of Flagler Beach organized the event in partnership with the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office and the hospital, and held the drive-by parade at two times — noon and 8 p.m. — as health care staff waved back from the front of the hospital.

Health care workers at the event said they appreciate the gesture, and urge community members to mask up and get vaccinated.

“It’s definitely reinforcing to all of our hard work, and ... nice to see their support of our tireless efforts to protect the community,” said Nevine Hanna, a radiation oncologist.

Dr. Tapash Roy said it’s important for the community to understand the scale of the pandemic. Science is as applicable here as it is for the law of gravity, he said. “What the CDC is saying is the truth,” he said.

The hospital, due to an influx of COVID-19 patients, has been operating at “black status,” and is deferring any hospitalbased out patient procedures that would require an overnight stay.

With local hospital beds limited, AdventHealth’s sister hospitals have taken some Flagler County patients.

Photos by Jonathan Simmons Dr. Tapash Roy, Karen Grant, Renae Vaughn and Dr. Nevine Hanna AdventHealth staff leaders gathered for a prayer of gratitude before the cards were distributed.

As of Aug. 30, there were 77 patients being treated with COVID-19 at AdventHealth Palm Coast, which advertises a capacity of 99 beds but can convert space to accommodate more. Five people died at the hospital over the weekend, bringing the total of Flagler deaths to 164.

The Emergency Department typically has a staff of 30-40, but some have had to quarantine periodically. Being short-staffed at a time of high hospitalizations has led many staff members to work 60 hours per week, according to Mary Radcliff, director of emergency services for the past six years.

“They feel very overwhelmed some days,” she said. “You have all of your rooms full, and patients are in the hallways, and the nurses are wanting to do the best they can for every patient that comes in, and a lot of times, there’s three times the patients there is staff to take care of them. But they still do what they have to do without hesitation.”

Cline, the owner of Flagler Surf Art and Stuff and the website www.flaglersurf.com, said she has since heard of other people taking up the same idea for health care workers in Orlando, Brandon and Palatka. Many nurses have told her that the gift cards are “a bright spot.”

“This was a hope to wash over things for a moment with something good, instead of complaining and arguing and sadness,” she said. “There is so much negative going on, and you can’t really battle that with negative. It doesn’t work.” — Jonathan Simmons contributed to this report.