Governor Pete Ricketts joined the state’s chief medical officer on Monday to encourage Nebraskans to get the COVID-19 vaccine and to stay healthy this holiday season.
During a news conference, Ricketts and Dr. Gary Anthone discussed various COVID-19 treatments. Ricketts highlighted one course of treatment to consider once a person starts to experience symptoms of COVID-19.
“You know that fever, that cough, that sort of thing. If very early on you get the monoclonal antibody treatment that makes a significant impact on fighting off the virus,” Ricketts says.
Ricketts also has this advice if your doctor hesitates or refuses to write a prescription for monoclonal antibodies. “Go get a new doctor or contact our COVID-19 hotline.”
Dr. Anthone says monoclonal antibody treatment is more readily available now in the state. “Nebraska now has a total of 86 infusion sites throughout the state. Almost every hospital and hospital system and even small rural hospitals now have infusion sites for these monoclonal antibodies.”
Dr. Anthone says Nebraska has been allocated to 800-900 doses by the federal government. To find a treatment site, click here and contact your provider to coordinate the therapy. For more information on vaccination, Nebraskans can contact the DHHS COVID-19 information line at 531-249-1873.
The Governor also announced the extension of three executive orders issued to facilitate hospital planning and ensure additional healthcare workforce capacity. Those orders are now effective through March 31, 2022. For more details on the executive orders click here.