JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — At a news conference in Jacksonville Monday morning, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis urged people across the state to be aware of the benefits of monoclonal antibody treatments in the fight against COVID-19.
The governor was joined by Toma Dean, the woman whose photo went viral as she was seen lying on the floor waiting to receive her monoclonal antibody treatment in Jacksonville earlier this month.
She said she was fighting high fevers from COVID-19 for days before she learned about the monoclonal antibody treatment center at the Jacksonville Main Library.
"If you look at that photo and think you’re half that sick, get up and go get Regeneron," Dean said.
A sign on the podium at the news conference said "Early Treatment Saves Lives." The governor has spent the last few weeks touting the success of monoclonal antibody therapies as a "lifesaving treatment" for those with COVID-19 across Florida, establishing several treatment centers across the state, including in Jacksonville.
There have been 30,000 monoclonal antibody treatments provided across Florida so far, the governor said. The site in Jacksonville was the first one to open, and has had the highest number of treatments so far.
And the governor claims, that's led to a reduction in the number of hospital admissions and emergency room visits.
"Very few folks admitted to the hospital knew about this treatment," DeSantis said. He said 90% of people admitted to the hospital did not get monoclonal antibodies before being admitted.
Dean was one of the COVID-19 patients who was unaware about monoclonal antibody treatments. She said she was on day nine or 10 of her illness when she finally received the treatment.
That came after she fought 105-degree fevers and oxygen levels in the 70s, which sent her to the emergency room multiple times. On her last ER visit, her doctor warned her she could be facing a stay in the ICU or high-flow oxygen if she did not improve.
That's when her doctor told her about Regeneron treatment, the mother of two said. Within 24 to 36 hours of receiving the treatment, she said she could already feel its effects.
The governor said the treatments offer a supplement to what hospitals can do.
Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry also said there has been a correlation in the decline in hospitalizations since the treatments went public.
First Coast News reached out to our local hospitals for numbers to confirm the correlation, but we have not yet heard back.
If you would like to make an appointment to receive monoclonal antibody treatment, you do not need a prescription. You can do so at patientportalfl.com.
