You really can't get out of your own way lol
Dr. Anthony Fauci pushes for use of monoclonal antibodies
Amid the continued push for Americans to get vaccinated against COVID-19, Dr. Anthony Fauci also called Tuesday for increased used of another intervention that can serve as both treatment and prevention.
Fauci, who is President Joe Biden’s chief medical adviser, said monoclonal antibodies have been “much underutilized’’ even though they can reduce the risk of hospitalization or death from COVID-19 by 70%-85%. He emphasized that level of effectiveness hinges on early treatment after infection.
“We want people out there, including physicians as well as potential patients, to realize the advantage of this very effective way of treating early infection,’’ Fauci said.
Monoclonal antibodies can also be used to prevent infection among those exposed to the virus, Fauci said, adding that current studies are looking at the effectiveness before exposure. There are three brands available under FDA emergency use authorization and they work by targeting the coronavirus’ spike protein.
President Donald Trump was treated with monoclonal antibodies when he was infected in October 2020, and more recently Texas Gov. Greg Abbott also received the therapy when he had a breakthrough infection. Demand for the drugs increased five-fold last month to nearly 110,000 doses; the majority is going to states with low vaccination rates.
“This is a very effective intervention for COVID-19,’’ Fauci said. “It is underutilized, and we recommend strongly that we utilize this to its fullest.’’