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Albany, Ga. – As of Tuesday morning, these were Phoebe’s COVID-19 numbers:

• Total COVID-19 Patients in Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital – 97
• Total COVID-19 Patients in Phoebe Sumter Medical Center – 30
• Total COVID-19 Patients in Phoebe Worth Medical Center – 6
• Total Inpatients Recovered – 3,906
• Total Positive Deaths from Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital – 438
• Total Positive Deaths from Phoebe Sumter – 118
• Total Positive Deaths from Phoebe Worth – 1
• Total Vaccines Administered – 78,667

“We are pleased to be caring for fewer than 100 COVID-19 patients in Albany today for the first time in nearly a month.  That excitement is tempered by the fact that our numbers have increased at Phoebe Sumter over the last few days, and we also continue to see a significant number of COVID deaths,” said Scott Steiner, Phoebe Putney Health System President & CEO.  “As much as we want to put this surge behind us, we are certainly not at that point yet.”

Phoebe is now utilizing a new medication to help prevent COVID-19 in patients who are moderately to severely immunocompromised.  The Food and Drug Administration issued emergency use authorization for Evusheld for individuals with weakened immune systems who are at least 12 years old.  They must not be currently infected with the virus and cannot have been recently exposed to the virus.  “Evusheld injections are not meant to replace vaccination against COVID-19.  They are approved for people who may not mount an adequate immune response to COVID-19 vaccination because their immune systems are compromised due to a medical condition or due to taking medications that suppress their immune systems,” said Dianna Grant, MD, Phoebe Putney Health System Chief Medical Officer.

Phoebe will begin offering the injections this week at its main campus in the ambulatory infusion center and pediatrics unit and next week in the Phoebe Cancer Center.  To be scheduled for the injections, patients must be referred by a physician.  “We are specifically reaching out to hematologists, oncologists, neurologists, rheumatologists, gastroenterologists and dermatologists because they are most likely to care for patients who may be on immunosuppressive medications, but any physician can refer qualifying immunocompromised patients under their care who may benefit from the injections,” Dr. Grant said.

For patients who have a recently tested positive for COVID-19, Phoebe recommends they talk to their physician about treatments including anti-viral pills and monoclonal antibody therapy.