WISE, VIRGINIA — JULY 6, 2021
The Health Wagon, the nation’s oldest mobile clinic, expands access to COVID-19
treatment with the use of monoclonal antibodies. According to the FDA, they are lab
made proteins that mimic the immune system’s ability to fight off harmful viruses. Dr.
Teresa Tyson states, “this is another first for the Health Wagon among many who is
always seeking to provide health care in new ways and unconventional ways. We are
the only ones to my knowledge that are giving these in an outpatient setting west of
Wytheville and the only one in the nation given them using a mobile health delivery
system.” These proteins are designed to stop the virus from entering the human cells
and can decrease the risk of dying from COVID-19.
A recent outbreak took place last week in Clintwood, Virginia. Several family members
traveling on vacation tested were found positive for a total of 16 individuals. A total of 16
patients have produced a positive COVID-19 test out of 26 patients. Some of these
individuals were candidates and received the antibodies with great results.
Another story, a family member of Dr. Tyson was diagnosed with COVID-19 while
vacationing together. Dr. Tyson researched the nearest hospital where the patient could
receive monoclonal antibodies and took the family member there. The person was
extremely sick but once received the infusion was feeling better almost immediately and had recovered greatly within a day. Dr. Tyson feels the Health Wagon will be able to
save lives with this treatment.
Who can get the treatment? You must be in one of the high-risk categories. There is a
strict criterion for receiving monoclonal antibodies. Please contact the Health Wagon
prior to visiting a clinic if you are interested in this treatment. The entire treatment time
will take approximately 2 hours (one hour of infusion and one hour of observation).
In addition, the Health Wagon is providing COVID-19 testing in two stationary clinic sites
(Clintwood and Wise, VA) and is testing and vaccinating from three mobile health units
that travel throughout the Health Wagon’s six-county service area. The Health Wagon
also continues to visit home sites and vaccinate patients who are homebound. The
mobile health unit model provides a path towards health equity and accessibility to the
most rural regions in Central Appalachia.
The Health Wagon, the oldest mobile clinic in the nation, is a nurse practitioner
managed clinic that has been in existence since 1980 which provides free medical,
dental and vision health care services in Lee, Scott, Wise, Dickenson, Buchanan and
Russell Counties and Norton City. If you know of a friend or family member who needs
tested or needs treatment, please contact (276) 328-8850 to get schedule or visit
http://www.thehealthwagon.org. If you would like to donate to the Health Wagon, a 501(c)(3)
nonprofit, please visit: http://www.thehealthwagon.org/donate