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As the delta variant increases in the South, state and local governments are rushing to set up antibody treatment centers in hopes of easing pressure on hospitals overwhelmed with Covid-19 patients.
Monoclonal antibody treatments, when given soon after a person tests positive for the virus, have been shown to reduce the risk of hospitalization.
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In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis has advocated strongly for treatment as cases in the state hit record highs. And in Texas, Governor Greg Abbott – who just received the treatment himself after testing positive for Covid-19 – recently announced nine new monoclonal antibody treatment centers statewide.
But even though the two governors, both Republicans, lobbied for monoclonal antibodies, they opposed the mask and vaccine warrants that public health officials say can help slow the spread of Covid-19. and would avoid the need for antibody treatments in the first place.
Dr Myron Cohen, director of the Institute of Global Health and Infectious Diseases at the University of North Carolina, said masks and vaccines remain the best line of defense against Covid.
“You want to prevent any possible disease, rather than treating it, because the consequences of infection are serious,” he said.
At the same time, Cohen is not opposed to publicizing monoclonal antibodies.
Infectious disease physicians overwhelmingly agree that monoclonal antibodies are indeed essential in preventing patients who contract Covid from progressing to serious illness. This is essential in states facing an increase in the number of patients who threaten to overwhelm hospitals.
“Vaccination is what we need to do. Full stop. But if someone gets sick with Covid-19, the monoclonal is our best tool to prevent hospitalization,” said Dr Michael Saag, associate dean for health Global at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where he runs a monoclonal antibody therapy clinic.
“This drug works extraordinarily well, especially if given within the first four or five days of symptoms,” he said. Monoclonal antibodies are given either by infusion or by a series of injections.
Dr Marcella Nunez-Smith, director of the White House Covid-19 Health Equity Task Force, has also encouraged the use of monoclonal antibodies.
“Monoclonal antibodies work. They’re safe. They’re free. They keep people out of the hospital and help them stay alive,” she said in a briefing last week.
The Biden administration has worked to increase access to monoclonal antibodies across the country, including shipping them to states with the highest transmission rates.
In Arizona, where a federal team has set up two clinics, none of the Covid-positive patients treated so far have required hospitalization, Nunez-Smith said.
Monoclonal antibodies are drugs made in the laboratory to mimic the body’s natural antibodies to the coronavirus. They are intended for use in newly infected patients who are at high risk of becoming sicker and needing hospitalization.
This includes a large group of patients: people over 65 and those with chronic conditions such as heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure.
Monoclonal antibodies were also cleared this month for prophylactic purposes, that is, to be given to people at high risk after being exposed to Covid-19 to prevent disease.
Saag said the benefits are clear in just a few days. Patients “turn the corner pretty quickly. And once they get better, they continue on that path. They usually don’t relapse into something worse. “
Dr David Mushatt, section chief of infectious diseases at Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans, had the same experience. “The gratifying thing is that people, literally, the next day will often feel better,” he said. “I am convinced it saves lives.”
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Despite the evidence for the benefits, antibodies remain underutilized, doctors say.
“There are a lot of people, including doctors, who don’t know much about them,” Mushatt said. “I think a big part of it is education. A lot of people probably don’t realize they’re eligible” for monoclonal antibodies.
The way patients learn about treatment varies. Most large cities and even mid-sized cities have access to monoclonal antibodies, Saag said. “Even some of the small towns have a place for people to go. It is necessary with the explosive number of cases that we are seeing.”
The National Infusion Center Association has an online tool where patients can locate nearby monoclonal antibody resources.
The key, Saag said, is early detection of infection.
“If you even have the slightest idea that you might get sick, get tested immediately,” he said. “If your test is positive, go back to your doctor and ask if you are eligible for a monoclonal antibody.”
Dr James Cutrell, an infectious disease specialist and associate professor of medicine at UT Southwestern in Dallas, said he had recently seen an increase in demand for treatments, reflecting the increase in Covid-19 cases in Texas. “It’s a resource that’s really important as we see hospitals fill up,” he said.
According to Nunez-Smith, more than 600,000 patients in the United States have received monoclonal antibodies during the pandemic. “These are hospitalizations avoided and lives saved.”
Yet, she added, “the best strategy to stay safe from the worst of Covid-19 is to get fully vaccinated.”
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