He’s sending in the delta force.
Florida governor Ron DeSantis will deploy rapid response professionals to treat people in his state infected with the coronavirus, as numbers in the Sunshine State surge amid the spread of the delta variant. Monoclonal antibodies will be administered with hopes of limiting sickness in already affected Floridians.
“This is the most effective treatment that we’ve yet encountered for people who are infected with COVID-19,” DeSantis said Thursday.
If applied “early and properly,” the governor says the treatment, which the FDA describes as “laboratory-made proteins that mimic the immune system’s ability to fight off harmful antigens such as viruses,” is an effective way of keeping new patients from flooding already crowded hospitals.
CNN reports that DeSantis’s teams were to start administering Monoclonal antibodies in Jacksonville at noon Thursday. That rollout will serve as a model for other parts of Florida.
“Strike teams” will deploy to long-term care facilities, providing treatments including Regeneron.
DeSantis has taken an unconventional approach to dealing with the pandemic, including resisting mask mandates and lockdowns. He encourages vaccinations.
A statement put out by the governor’s office said the antibodies should be administered as soon as possible after diagnosis, and within 10 days of symptom onset.
“This is going to be with us for a long time,” DeSantis said. “COVID’s not going to go away.”
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services sent 200 ventilators to Florida this week, which the Florida Health Department reportedly request as a “proactive measure.” DeSantis said he was unaware of any request for that shipment.
CNN reports that new weekly statistics for Florida are expected tomorrow. Florida station Local10 reported Thursday that the state was averaging more than 21,000 new cases per day and had reached its highest 7-day moving average of new cases since the pandemic began in March 2020.
