New Regeneron Monoclonal Antibody Treatment Center To Open Saturday In Tropical Park
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Another state-run monoclonal antibody treatment site will open on Saturday in South Florida. This one will be located at Tropical Park in Southwest Miami-Dade.
Governor Ron DeSantis has spent the week criss-crossing the state to announce the openings of these centers, which use Regeneron to treat COVID-19 infected patients.
The other South Florida location is C.B. Smith Park in Pembroke Pines.
And just like the Broward location, the Miami-Dade treatment center will be open seven days a week from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Each site can treat up to 300 patients a day.
Monoclonal antibodies are man-made proteins that act like human antibodies in the immune system.
The FDA authorized Regeneron for emergency use as post-exposure prevention for COVID-19 in November. However, the FDA says Regeneron is not a substitute for vaccination against COVID-19 and still urges all eligible people to get vaccinated.
The treatment provides a temporary, but immediate boost to the immune system which can help reduce chances that a patient will develop serious complications.
It's administered to patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 symptoms in adults and pediatric patients (12 years of age or older), and who are at high risk for progressing to severe COVID-19. This includes those who are 65 years or older who have certain chronic medical conditions. High risk patients include the those who are elderly, immunocompromised, morbidly obese, suffer from heart disease, chronic kidney disease, lung conditions and sickle cell.
The Regeneron cocktail, when given within 10 days of initial symptoms, have been shown to cut rates of hospitalization and death by roughly 70%, and can reduce the chance of infection among a patient's household members by more than 80%. However, it cannot be used on patients who are already hospitalized with COVID-19 or are on oxygen therapy.
Regeneron is delivered intravenously or by injection and the treatment is free.
21 treatment sites are expected to be open throughout the state by next week.
If you qualify for treatment, visit patientportalfl.com to make an appointment.
More information and a map of other monoclonal antibody sites is available at floridahealthcovid19.gov. You can also call 850-344-9637.