Renzo Downey
Gov. Ron DeSantis says monoclonal antibody treatment is a patient’s best bet for avoiding a severe COVID-19 case after exposure.
DeSantis has spent much of this month raising public awareness of monoclonal antibodies, a therapeutic available when a person at high risk for severe infection tests positive for COVID-19 or is exposed to the virus.
For people who test positive, regardless of whether they’re vaccinated or not, receiving the antibody cocktail is the best way to “nuke” an infection, DeSantis said Thursday.
“If you don’t do the monoclonal early, the fact of the matter is, there’s not a lot of great stuff out there for you,” DeSantis said. “In terms of the treatment of this thing, other than this — other than the Regeneron — there really hasn’t been a lot.”
Most new hospitalizations and deaths could be avoided if people sought the drug cocktail early, he added. DeSantis is on the public awareness campaign because it was largely unknown until earlier this month, when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the injectable for early treatment in high risk people after exposure.
President Donald Trump received monoclonal antibodies last year when he was treated for COVID-19, promoting it as a “miracle” and a “cure.” The federal government purchased 1.25 million doses of Regeneron’s version of the drug in January, making treatment free to patients and to states. But the treatment has since largely fallen out of the public’s view.
“Obviously, it hasn’t been stressed very much,” DeSantis said. “It’s one of the reasons why people don’t know about it.”
Critics argue DeSantis has promoted treatment over vaccines this month by touting the drug cocktail. But he says it’s not a question of treatment versus vaccines but that both are important, particularly as there are more breakthrough cases. Moreover, he spent much of the first half of the year crisscrossing the state to promote vaccines.
DeSantis’ press secretary, Christina Pushaw, attacked The Associated Press Tuesday evening for publishing a story highlighting that the CEO of Citadel, a hedge fund with Regeneron shares, has donated $10.75 million to the DeSantis campaign since 2018.
Citadel’s investment in Regeneron is a tiny fraction of its overall $39 billion in investments, but if the stock price was to go up, Citadel would benefit. Pushaw noted that Citadel has far greater investments in Moderna and Pfizer, which manufacture COVID-19 vaccines. And Kirby Wilson of the Tampa Bay Times reported that it doesn’t benefit Regeneron for the Governor to promote it.
But the relationship has generated a buzz on social media, as Democrats question the relationship.
“Claiming that there is somehow ‘corruption’ by promoting the baseless political narrative that Governor DeSantis supports Regeneron over COVID vaccines (completely false, but that is another topic) is not even logically consistent when you examine the SEC filing,” Pushaw said in an email. “Citadel holds far more shares of Pfizer and Moderna than Regeneron.”
Dr. Kenneth Scheppke, the Florida Division of Emergency Management’s chief medical officer, highlighted vaccines as still probably the best way to prevent hospitalization and death. However, Regeneron’s monoclonal antibody “checks off all the boxes” when someone’s been exposed.
“You really need not just the prevention strategy, which is the vaccine, but you need the treatment strategy, which is where these monoclonal antibodies come in,” Scheppke said.
17 comments
Alex
August 19, 2021 at 3:44 pm
No liar.
Getting vaccinated before getting exposed is the best treatment.
More diversionary BS to keep the ignorant base in line from the Presidential wanna-be.
Tjb
August 19, 2021 at 5:00 pm
Agree, it is like saying, I won’t do much to prevent getting cancer, so I get the best treatment.
Tammy
August 20, 2021 at 6:58 am
Yea because vaccinated isnt getting covid right? I know 5 people right now who got vaccinated and got covid my daughter included. So yea better to promote treatments along with vaccines stoo being an ignorant liberal
Rose
August 20, 2021 at 7:37 am
And how many of those 5 people that you know died. They end up with a mild case of COVID. Stop being a ignorant trumper.
Alex
August 20, 2021 at 4:44 pm
I know zero.
What I do know is to get infected after being vaccinated is most likely because of very close contact with lots of unvaccinated people not wearing masks.
Enough virus in your lungs can still overwhelm your immune system.
Matthew Lusk
August 20, 2021 at 12:35 pm
Moderna and Pfizer experimental genetic manipulation catalysts are not vaccines. Don’t be an idiot. Under law there is no liability to anyone but the injected guinea pig. And if you believe the lie that 90% of cov19 patients in hospitals are un-vaccinated, well, l can’t help you. Socialized medicine is a trillion dollar piniata. Man has been very well known to lie, cheat and steal. The smartest of the immoral do it legally.
tjb
August 19, 2021 at 4:24 pm
DeSantis, the pitchman, is pushing a COVID-19 antibody treatment (Regeneron). Experts say Regeneron is an effective treatment for Covid.
However, one of DeSantis’s largest donors is Citadel CEO Ken Griffin.
Citadel, is a hedge fund company, that is invested in Regneron Pharmaceuticals.
Ken Griffin has donated $10.75 million to a political committee that supports DeSantis. This makes him one of the largest donors if not the largest donor to our governor.
I appreciate that the governor is pushing this treatment, but with such a large amount being donated to his campaign there is the stink of “Pay to Play”. I wonder if I had a mask company and donated $15 million to his PAC, would he be pitching the wonders of wearing a mask
Tom
August 19, 2021 at 9:14 pm
Amen!
God Bless him and his wonderful family.
The filth he has to deal with is many.
Tom
August 24, 2021 at 6:58 pm
Liar Tjb.
Really low end.
Independent Fl Voter
August 19, 2021 at 6:19 pm
Governor Ron DeSantis is the best Governor evaaaaa! The man uses common sense…
grace valiante
August 19, 2021 at 6:52 pm
“HEMINGWAY VOCABULARY”
ADDED TO LINEUP OF POP UP
POST NEO DARK AGES (COVID) THEATER
BY PLAYWRIGHTS SANCTUARY
HEM THEATER COLLECTIE RWM PLAYWRIGHTS LAB
PLAYWRIGHTS SANCTUARY TO BE SEEN AT CHERRY LANE AND DRAMA BOOKSTORE LEGAL NEGOTIATIONS HAPPENING NOW
Matthew Lusk
August 20, 2021 at 11:59 am
Ivermectin is only $2 a dose, widely used in India. Plus, I don’t think injecting human embryonic protein into lab mice to grow antibodies is very heart warming.
Matthew Lusk
August 20, 2021 at 12:19 pm
Regeneron involved in multi million dollar kickback lawsuit? So much for corporate ethics!
Matthew Lusk
August 20, 2021 at 1:37 pm
Ivermectin or humanized mice juice? The choice is yours!
Alice
August 20, 2021 at 3:35 pm
Then why did he get the vaccine?
Sonja Fitch
August 20, 2021 at 4:10 pm
Desantis is a damn drug dealer! He accepted money from the pharma making the antibodies! Stupid prevention prevention! Our children are dying because of the criminally negligence of Duffus Desantis!
Peace be with you
August 20, 2021 at 8:08 pm
I am so sorry your child passed away. I do know of several fully vaccinated people that would not been ok with out this treatment.
Comments are closed.