I turned on the tube last winter. Rachel Maddow was talking about monoclonal antibody treatment. She said people in the early stages of a Covid-19 infection needed to know about it. Taking the treatment greatly reduced the chances of serious illness, hospitalization, and death, she said. But docs, hospitals, and public officials weren't publicizing this breakthrough medicine, which had gotten emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration. And they weren't making it readily available to a public rocked by the Coronavirus pandemic.
That show aired in February. I've provided a link to it, above. Now, though, we are reaching the end of August, and the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported on Saturday that about 4,000 Floridians have died from Covid-19 in the past five weeks.
Approximately a week earlier, our governor, Ron DeSantis, started holding press conferences in different parts of the Sunshine State. He did this to announce the opening of state-sponsored monoclonal antibody treatment sites. His first stop, I believe, was Jacksonville, on Aug. 12. "This is the best, the best shot we've got right now to keep people out of the hospital and keep them safe," he said, according to News4Jax.com. Lenny Curry, the mayor of Jacksonville, offered some context, saying, "This antibody treatment, as the governor said, is not well known by the community. It's effective, it works."
I'm providing links to online sources that back up what the governor and mayor said, here, her e, here, here, and here. It's also important to note that the Biden administration supports the use of monoclonal antibody treatment. In fact, people who need it will get it for free because the federal government is footing the bill.
Of course, health and medical experts tell us that vaccination is the best option to pursue to prevent a Covid-19 infection. But not everyone has gotten vaccinated. And even some people who got vaccinated have experienced so-called "breakthrough" infections. So I sent an email to Christina Pushaw, the spokeswoman for Gov. DeSantis. I wanted to learn more about the free treatment that Floridians can get. At her suggestion, I also contacted the Florida Department of Health. I will update this report when I hear back from the DOH. My questions and the answers from Pushaw follow:
How many state monoclonal antibody treatment centers are up and running? What are the locations, days, and hours of operation?
As of yesterday (Monday), 17 sites were open. We continue to open them rapidly to expand access to this life-saving treatment. We expect that will expand to 21 sites up and running this week. Please see the Florida Department of Health website for more information, including hours and days of operation for each site (most of them are open every day, some are closed on weekends):
Click Here and Click Here
Can you give me a breakdown for each site? How many people in total have received the treatment at each site as of today?
Most of the sites can serve up to 300 people per day. Over 6,000 patients have received treatment so far, and that number is increasing more every day, as more people learn about the treatment.
I've read that monoclonal antibody treatment is free, paid for by the federal government. Is this true?
Yes, this is true. It is free to the patient, just like vaccines. It can be taken as an IV infusion or with 4 shots that take 1-2 minutes each.
Are the state monoclonal antibody sites permanent? Or just open until the Delta variant subsides?
Great question. They are anticipated to be temporary, but we do not have a set end date at this point, because we do not know how long the demand and need will last. I should note that many hospitals and clinics offer the same treatment (also free), and that will continue for the foreseeable future.
Is the state keeping in touch with people who get monoclonal antibody treatment to determine if they experience side effects? To learn if the treatment prevents serious illness, hospitalization, or death?
It is already tested in clinical trials and granted authorization from the FDA, so we know it is safe and effective. We are not aware of any reports of side effects but perhaps check with DOH on this too.
I'm sending you links to "quicklink" articles I've published at OpEd News. The articles talk up monoclonal antibody treatment but some note that prevention with vaccination is the best option. Does the governor think that prevention is the first option and treatment is the second option? If no, why not?
Governor DeSantis supports both vaccines and monoclonal antibodies. The difference is that vaccines are preventative and monoclonal antibodies are for treatment. When you get vaccinated, it takes a few weeks for the full immune response to kick in and protect you from COVID. If someone tests positive, the vaccine will not cure them, but monoclonals can give them a much better chance of recovering swiftly and not needing to be hospitalized. In clinical trials, this treatment demonstrated a 70% reduction in hospitalization and death and demonstrated an 82% reduction in contracting COVID-19 in exposed household contacts. By the way, sometimes vaccinated people get breakthrough infections, and they are also helped significantly by Regeneron.
From what I've read, mainstream experts say vaccination, social distancing, and masking, and monoclonal antibody treatment can help us work our way past the Delta variant. Does the governor agree? If not, where does he disagree?
The Governor completely agrees that vaccination and monoclonal antibody treatment are crucial to ending the pandemic. They are both tested in clinical trials and have been proven to work. Vaccines work to prevent serious illness in most people, and Regeneron prevents hospitalizations in 70% of at-risk patients. The governor does not agree with mask mandates and lockdowns, because there is not enough evidence that the benefits outweigh potential harms, or even that these interventions make a difference at all. However, we encourage people to stay home if they are sick or test positive for COVID, and everyone is free to wear a mask if they want to.
Is the governor concerned that the Covid-19 virus will continue to mutate, and eventually create variants that outsmart vaccines and treatment drugs? If yes, how does he think we can prevent this from happening?
Great question. We have come a long way in the last year with vaccines and treatments, and the governor anticipates that the science will continue to keep up with the variants. So far, the vaccines do protect against all the strains of COVID, and Regeneron monoclonal antibody treatment (the brand we have at all the state-supported sites in Florida) works on patients with all known variants of COVID.
I've read that one of the monoclonal antibody treatments does not work with the Delta variant. Is this true?
Yes. It's my understanding that Eli Lilly monoclonals do not work on the Delta variant. Most cases in the USA are thought to be the Delta variant, so anyone who tests positive for COVID and needs treatment should seek Regeneron. Again, that is the brand we have at our state-supported sites, and it DOES work with Delta.
Pushaw also provided this additional information:
Regeneron:
Not a substitute for a vaccine, but a clinically proven treatment, which can help people who are vaccinated (breakthrough infections) or unvaccinated.
From the FDA:
The primary data supporting the EUA reissuance for post-exposure prophylaxis of COVID-19 are from a Phase 3 trial. The trial was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial studying a single dose of REGEN-COV for the prevention of COVID-19 in household contacts of individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2. Cases were confirmed using real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), one of the most accurate laboratory methods for detecting, tracking, and studying COVID-19.
An 81% reduction in confirmed symptomatic COVID-19 cases was observed with REGEN-COV compared to placebo at day 29 in cases who were RT-PCR negative and seronegative at baseline (the primary analysis population). In the overall trial population, there was a 62% reduction in RT-PCR confirmed symptomatic COVID-19 cases in the REGEN-COV group compared to placebo at day 29.
From HHS: Click Here The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized three monoclonal antibody (mAb) treatments for emergency use: REGEN-COV (casirivimab and imdevimab administered together), sotrovimab, and Actemra (tocilizumab). These treatments could help your immune system respond more effectively to the COVID-19 virus, reducing the chances that your symptoms will get worse. Your healthcare provider can help you decide if you are eligible for these mAb treatments.Monoclonal antibodies can cut risk of hospitalization, death by 70% in COVID-19 patients
From Dr. Cameron Webb, White House Senior Policy Advisor for Equity, COVID-19 Response Team: "That's following the science," Dr. Webb said of Gov. DeSantis' promotion of monoclonal antibody treatments.
From the NYT on August 12: "As Virus Cases Surge, Biden Administration Encourages More Use of Antibody Treatments. A top White House adviser said monoclonal antibody treatments, sometimes underused, could still be crucial in helping people with Covid-19 avoid getting very sick."
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This interview initially appeared at my free Substack newsletter, What's Going On.
DeSantis Administration Promotes Monoclonal Antibody Treatment - by Steve Schneider - What's Going On (substack.com)
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