DeSantis touts success of monoclonal antibodies in Florida

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was in Fort Lauderdale on Thursday, touting the state’s monoclonal antibodies treatments for the recent reduction in COVID-19 hospitalizations.

Speaking at Broward Health Medical Center, the governor said the state has seen 24 consecutive days with a reduction in hospital census and a 50%+ decrease in hospital admissions.

“The bottom line is this: COVID is a treatable illness,” DeSantis said.

His visit came on the day the state officially passed 50,000 deaths connected to COVID-19, according to the CDC.

Asked about that, DeSantis said: “I think it’s been a really tough year and a half. ... Affecting families in ways that you’re not used to, so I think its been really, really rough, but I think that through some of these efforts, we’ve been able to mitigate that.”

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The governor’s office says that more than 90,000 monoclonal antibody treatments have been provided across 25 sites statewide.

Those sites include ones at C.B. Smith Park in Pembroke Pines and Tropical Park in Miami-Dade County.

DeSantis also hit at the Biden administration for not better promoting the treatment, and he criticized the federal government for decreasing the upcoming supply of monoclonal antibodies being sent to Florida.

It’s been just over a month since DeSantis announced a push to make the Regeneron monoclonal antibody treatments more readily available.

The treatments are for people who have recently tested positive for COVID-19 and can reduce the severity of symptoms. They do not prevent COVID-19.

The state has seen a notable decrease in hospitalizations since the peak of the summer surge. On Thursday, 9,917 patients with COVID-19 were admitted across the state, according to the Florida Hospital Association.

For more information about monoclonal antibodies in Florida, go to floridahealthcovid19.gov.

You can also call the Florida Department of Health Monoclonal Antibody Treatment Support Line at 850-344-9637.