The clinic is set up at Lakes Church, 1010 E. Memorial Blvd., and will be open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. DeSantis said the clinic has the capacity to treat more than 300 patients per day using Regeneron.
Treatment will be available free of charge to all individuals who are at risk of hospitalization from the COVID-19 virus, regardless of their COVID-19 vaccination status, DeSantis said. Those seeking treatment at the state clinics should have a positive COVID test or have a high risk and confirmed exposure to the virus.
“It has been used by health systems in most parts of the state pretty consistently, however, it’s something a lot of people didn’t know about,” the governor said. “We are helping raise the visibility of it.”
The state has opened at least a dozen monoclonal antibody clinics so far, including Lakeland, as of Saturday. Other nearby locations are Camping World Stadium in Orlando and Kings Forest Park in Tampa. Later Saturday, DeSantis was at Manatee Memorial Hospital in Bradenton to open another site. DeSantis has promised to offer 15 to 20 sites across the state by early next week so the vast majority of residents have easy access to a clinic.
“The vast majority of Floridians age 50 and above qualify for this treatment one way or another,” he said.
The governor had Florida’s Surgeon General Scott Rivkees issue an order that allows people to receive monoclonal antibody treatment at state clinics without first obtaining a doctor’s prescription — often required at many hospitals and private clinics.
Regeneron approved in 2020 for emergency use
Regeneron was approved for emergency use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat COVID-19 last year — like each of the available vaccines. The medication can be given to patients via IV infusion or a series of four shots, two to the stomach area and one in each arm, prior to the development of serious symptoms. State clinics will administer the drug via shots in order to treat more patients efficiently, DeSantis said.
“The key here is early treatment,” he said. “If you wait till you are really, really sick and need hospitalization or intensive care, these antibodies have missed opportunity to do what they need to do.”
Monoclonal antibody treatment has been shown to reduce the risk of hospitalization by approximately 70%, according to the governor, and has been effective against the highly contagious Delta variant.
Way to go Ron. Stand up for the people. You’re my hero.