ER Doctor’s Experience Receiving Vital COVID-19 Antibody Treatment

Posted by Divya Sathyanarayanan

As an Emergency Medicine Specialist at CHA HPMC, Dr. Shahrokh Kohanim understood how deadly COVID-19 is—he had seen many critical patients wheeled in to the Emergency Room. But on Dec. 21, Dr. Kohanim became the patient. “I developed severe cough and my COVID test came out positive,” he says.

Dr. Kohanim, who was undergoing an immunosuppressive therapy for a skin disease, was considered a high-risk patient for COVID-19. “I needed immediate treatment to reduce severity of the disease and avoid any complications,” he says. When CHA HPMC doctors recommended Regeneron’s COVID-19 antibody cocktail treatment, Dr. Kohanim trusted their advice and agreed to receive the treatment.

Antibody treatment, also called monoclonal antibody infusion treatment, is used to treat individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19 and are considered at high risk of disease progression and severe illness—including individuals over 65 and those with underlying medical conditions. These antibodies could help the immune system recognize and respond more effectively to the virus. Antibody treatments, manufactured by Regeneron and Eli Lilly, received emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration in November 2020.

After receiving the antibody treatment, Dr. Kohanim noticed improvement in his condition. “I believe it’s a miracle treatment. It is a good option for patients and they can receive this treatment in an outpatient setting,” he says. “It saved my life.”

This was Dr. Kohanim’s first time receiving care at CHA HPMC. “The care was excellent and nursing team is highly professional. They explained the treatment process carefully and answered all questions,” he says.

Dr. Kohanim is grateful to CHA HPMC’s nursing team and physicians for the timely care and life-saving COVID-19 treatment.
 
 
Go to our Patient Stories