Big changes are coming for a treatment aimed at helping COVID-19 patients avoid a stay in the hospital.
The change involves just how much monoclonal antibody treatment Alabama will be getting.
We were told the state will get enough to treat everyone who needs it, but the way​​ it's distributed is different.
The infusion treatment is already meant for a very specific group of people who are sick with COVID, and you can only get it within 10 days of being infected.
The state had a set number for allocation but, we were told last week, that number is changing some.
Dr. Aruna Arora is the Madison County Medical Society President and she told us now the state department of health will distribute based on the need.
It was initially going straight to the provider.
"There are about six to seven states that will continue to be ahead in the need of demand for this treatment, but it should just make us realize the monoclonal antibodies are here for us if we need the treatment. But, really, the only way through this is for us to get the vaccination," said Dr. Arora.
Dr. Arora says the hospitals are being overrun by people who aren't vaccinated and that is the whole reason we are seeing the snowball effect with everything else.
The treatment is available now at select locations like Huntsville Hospital, but they said the biggest thing to change is doctors will filter who is at most high risk first and move down a tiered system.
