VDH has limited COVID-19 treatment

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) -Monoclonal antibodies used to be a reliable treatment for COVID-19, but now according to a doctor only one type works for omicron.

This has caused the demand for Sotrovimab to increase across the country.

The Virginia Department of Health says it receives its supply from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which VDH says has its own system for allocating it across the nation.

Doctors with VDH says it looks at health equity and sufficient coverage in the Commonwealth, when it looks at giving the treatment to places, like UVA Health.

“The requests are threefold, what we are getting from HHS, so we may be able to fill 30 or 40 percent of orders,” VDH Public Health Physician Specialist, Dr. Brooke Rossheim said. “Because that is what is being requested, and so we have to do the best that we can work with. I will say that this most recent week, we’ve been able to fill more orders, which is good.”

Doctors say this limited supply is just another reason to get vaccinated and boosted, since people can’t just rely on this drug with its limited supply.

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