Story at a glance
- Monoclonal antibody centers will open in Jacksonville and other parts of the state.
- The governor said teams will also be deployed to bring treatment directly to vulnerable populations in long-term care facilities.
- The move by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis comes as Florida has become the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S. while the highly contagious delta variant takes hold.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) announced Thursday the state will be opening a rapid response unit to administer monoclonal antibody treatments to COVID-19 patients in Jacksonville and eventually other areas of the state as cases spike.
Monoclonal antibodies are lab-made proteins that mimic the immune system’s ability to fight off viruses. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued emergency use authorization for treatments developed by Regeneron and Eli Lilly.
“We also look forward to setting up a long-term site at the Jacksonville Public Library and additional long-term sites across the state. These treatments have been proven successful, with clinical trials resulting in a 70 percent reduction in hospitalization and death for COVID patients,” DeSantis said in a statement.
The governor said teams will also be deployed to bring treatment directly to vulnerable populations in long-term care facilities.
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The monoclonal antibodies block the virus that causes COVID-19 from attaching to human cells, making it more difficult for the virus to reproduce and produce severe symptoms.
Former President Trump was treated with Regeneron when he contracted COVID-19 last year.
The move by DeSantis comes as Florida has become the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S. as the highly contagious delta variant takes hold.
The state reported nearly 25,000 new COVID-19 infections Wednesday, setting a record for daily cases since the start of the pandemic.
Hospitals in the state have also reported having more than 15,000 patients, up from a record 14,000 set just two days prior.
DeSantis has also been locked in a feud with local school districts over his executive order banning mask and vaccine mandates amid the latest surge, as some school districts have moved to defy the order.
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