To best protect the Juneau community against COVID-19, Bartlett Regional Hospital continues to offer monoclonal antibody therapy. Monoclonal antibody therapy is a safe and effective treatment that helps prevent severe illness and hospitalization from COVID-19 for individuals newly infected with the virus. You must receive this treatment within 10 days of when your symptoms started.

Criteria for therapy administration includes those at high risk for progressing to severe COVID-19, including people with pre-existing conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, or those with mild or moderate COVID-19 symptoms. Monoclonal antibodies can be given to vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals. Priority is given to individuals over 65 years of age. Treatment is available by appointment seven days a week.

If you think you or someone you know may meet criteria for monoclonal antibody therapy, contact your primary care provider for referral to BRH’s onsite monoclonal antibody clinic. Community members or visitors without a primary care provider can contact BRH at 796-8900 for more information. Eligibility for antibody therapy includes:

• Those over 65 years of age with cardiovascular disease, hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or chronic respiratory disease; OR
• Those with specific, rare, pre-existing conditions; OR
• Those with mild or moderate coronavirus disease; OR
• Those at high risk for progressing to severe COVID-19 and/or hospitalization

​​Antibody therapy is beneficial only in newly infected patients. Generally, a patient is not a candidate for therapy once hospitalized. Learn more here.

Monoclonal antibody therapy is not a substitution for getting vaccinated against COVID-19. Vaccination remains the single most effective strategy to fight infection from COVID-19.

For more information, contact BRH Chief Nursing Officer Kim McDowell at (907) 796-8310 or [email protected].

The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services reports 16 new individuals in the Juneau community – 14 residents and two nonresidents – identified with COVID-19 for September 8. There are currently two people with COVID-19 hospitalized at Bartlett Regional Hospital.

The Juneau School District reports four individual who’ve tested positive for COVID-19 and were infectious while in school – three at Dzantik’i Heeni Middle School (all classes operating on regular schedules) and one at Thunder Mountain High School (all classes operating on regular schedules). COVID-19 cases related to schools are posted on the district website as they are reported (click on the green “COVID-19 Cases” block). Find more district-related COVID-19 information at juneauschools.org.

Juneau Public Health reports these generalized case trends for the past week:

• There are no large groupings of case positivity at this point. Case exposure seems to be coming from social gatherings or passing among family groupings.
• Household spread continues to be an issue. Once one person in the house is positive, most people in the household also test positive over the next week or two.
• Regular screening testing is showing some case activity in congregate living situations. Facilities are being extra vigilant in COVID-19 mitigation protocols.
• There is some case positivity on small and large cruise ships. Protocols are being followed closely and identified positives and their close contacts are not being allowed off the vessels except to quarantine and/or isolate
• The Juneau School District continues to report regular case activity. They are monitoring closely and working issues classroom by classroom. Most case positivity is showing up in elementary schools as the age group is not yet eligible for vaccination.

Statewide, the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services reports 841 new people identified with COVID-19 – 808 are residents and 33 are nonresidents. The state is also reporting six deaths – five residents and one nonresident – bringing the total number of resident deaths to 442 and the total number of nonresident deaths to 14. The resident deaths involve a male Anchorage resident in his 70s, a female Anchorage resident in her 70s, a female Kenai resident in her 70s, a male Eagle River resident in his 60s, and a female Anchorage resident in her 70s. The nonresident death involves a man in his 70s. Alaska has had 89,466 cumulative resident cases of COVID-19 and a total of 4,166 nonresidents.

Juneau vaccine update:

• 73.4 percent of the total population of Juneau has received at least 1 dose of vaccine and 69.5 percent has completed the vaccine series.
• 92.7 percent of the population in Juneau age 65+ has received at least one dose of vaccine and 92.1 percent has completed the vaccine series.

For more information, read CBJ’s Emergency Operations Center Reports here.