INDIANAPOLIS — A member of the Indianapolis City-County Council is speaking out about his battle against a breakthrough case of COVID-19.
Councilor Jared Evans, who represents parts of the west side, is fully vaccinated but still needed to seek treatment for his symptoms. Now, he's worried that others may not be able to find the same care.
"It was just dreadful," said Evans.
Nearly three weeks ago, Evans said he was out with his family on a Saturday night when he started to feel under the weather.
"Sunday, I got up and did my regular routines and by Sunday afternoon I felt like I had a fever coming on, sort of those cold chills and I knew something's not right," said Evans.
An at-home COVID test and a lab test both came back positive.
"It totally drained me. I never felt like my life was threatened, I didn't have chest congestion, but to touch my skin was very painful. The body aches and fevers," said Evans.
A few days later, there were still no signs of progress.
"Friends kept saying go get this infusion which is a cocktail drug. I had never really heard of it. My doctor said, 'yeah we could do it,'" said Evans.
What Evans thought would be a simple appointment to get an antibody treatment didn't quite go as planned.
"A couple of days later, I still had not gotten the appointment for the infusion. So, a friend's doctor helped and intervened because there were no facilities in Indianapolis that were available, not for another 3 to 4 days at that time," said Evans.
Evans was finally able to find an appointment at Witham Hospital in Lebanon, which is about 45 minutes away.
"I almost immediately started to feel a little bit better and within 24 hours, I was much better," said Evans.
Evans says it's an unsettling feeling for him to know that this antibody treatment isn't easily accessible in the Circle City.
"That is absolutely unfortunate, and it shouldn't have to happen and that's why I want to be very clear I think that we are failing as a state in getting these infusion centers up and running so that folks all over the city of Indianapolis can go and get the health care they need," said Evans.
Evans said that will make all the difference in fighting this virus.
"It doesn't appear to me that COVID is going away. So, we need to be better at reacting and getting these things set up on the front end rather than waiting for someone to get sick," said Evans.
WRTV has reached out to the Indiana Department of Health and Marion County Public Health Department to learn more about the availability of monoclonal antibody treatments.
You can find a monoclonal antibody infusion center by calling 211. You'll be connected with a support center that can find the closest facility that can treat you.
