Treatment giving hope to immuno-compromised patients Life is being made easier for vulnerable patients like Helen with a new treatment made available through a collaboration between the NSLHD Nursing Midwifery Directorate and the Virtual Hospital at Royal North Shore Hospital. it will provide me with some relief. “It means there will be more freedom and life will not be as intense as I have been enduring.”
Evusheld works by binding to the spike protein receptors of the virus, effectively ‘blocking’ COVID-19 from entering the body and multiplying. Potential patients are identified from the specialist teams at NSLHD facilities and a text message is sent to the patients offering an appointment with one of the doctors in the virtual hospital. If the patient would like to receive the treatment they are given an appointment to attend the RNSH COVID-19 vaccination hub. Data on the effect of COVID-19 on Australia’s immune-compromised patients is still scant, with the University of Sydney’s Kirby Institute recently launching a study to discover more. An American study recently found that immunocompromised people account for about 12 per cent of all COVID-related hospitalisations, despite only accounting for about three per cent of the total US population. Helen, whose condition has caused her more than 100 broken bones, also received emergency treatment at RNSH after catching COVID-19 herself last year. “When COVID-19 hit, I was basically staying at home until vaccines were available,” she said. “The telehealth and virtual care service at RNSH was terrific for me. When I caught COVID-19, I was given the anti-viral treatment I needed straight away (and) I was able to fully recover, apart from a lingering cough. “With this treatment, I should be more resistant to COVID and not less.” More patient information on Evushed is available at: https://bit.ly/3Lqeg1d
Helen, from Chatswood, has been among the first patients at RNSH to receive Evusheld treatment, which helps protect moderate to severely immune-compromised patients or those with auto-immune diseases from COVID-19. The treatment provides a defence for patients who are particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 even if they have been fully vaccinated. For Helen, who suffers from a rare condition causing brittle bones and had a kidney transplant in 2015, the treatment has been invaluable. “COVID-19 hugely impacted the life of me and my family, so this treatment is great for me,” the married mother-of-two said. “I am still circumspect and cautious when I go out, like wearing a mask for example, but
RNSH Evusheld patient, Helen
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