By Sylvina Poole

The answer may be in you acting fast.  Within 10 days of testing positive you may be eligible to receive Monoclonal Antibody treatments that have a 70% success rate in keeping people from needing to be hospitalized or dying.

One of the first questions you may have if you test positive for COVID-19 is, “What can I do to reduce the risk of getting sick?” The good news is that there are medications that can help reduce this risk. Depending on your age, medical history, and duration of COVID-19 symptoms, you may be eligible for promising COVID-19 treatment. This is known as monoclonal antibody therapy.

Act fast! Within 10 days get treatment.

As COVID-19 cases continue to rise in the United States, the need for monoclonal antibody therapy is increasing, especially in places where vaccination rates are low. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), this treatment includes “laboratory proteins that mimic the immune system’s ability to fight off dangerous antigens like viruses,” such as SARS-CoV-2.

The pharmaceutical company Merck announced on October 1, 2021 they would be applying for an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for their oral medicine to treat COVID-19. Their pill regimen is said to have a 50% success rate in preventing hospitalization or deaths and is being described as a game changer. The Regeneron monoclonal antibody treatment, already approved by the FDA under an Emergency Use Authorization, was found to minimize the risk of hospitalization and death by 70% in clinical trials.

In the United States, monoclonal antibodies have already helped over 600,000 people. COVID-19 symptoms were also reduced by four days, thanks to the medication.

This is especially advantageous for patients with compromised immune systems who may not have a strong enough immune response to COVID-19 vaccines, as well as those who are at high risk of serious illness. After a positive test result for COVID-19, monoclonal antibody treatment usually begins within 10 days.

Consult your doctor for Monoclonal Treatment

If you have been exposed to COVID-19 or test positive for the virus, tell your doctor. Your doctor can help you figure out if monoclonal antibody therapy is right for you.
Within 10 days of experiencing mild or moderate symptoms and having tested positive for COVID-19, ask the doctor about getting treatment. The immediate qualifiers for treatment are being aged 65+, then individuals who are at high risk of more serious complications of COVID- 19 and going into the hospital. The chart below lists all of the categories for treatment.

If a person testing positive is 65+, they should act quickly, talk with their doctor, about beginning treatment within 10 days. The treatment is given before patients are seriously ill and needing hospitalization. The treatment is given by IV and is currently done at hospitals and infusion centers. For a complete list of Infusion Treatment Centers click here. The monoclonal antibody treatment is authorized by the FDA under the same Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) as are the Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson vaccines.

While vaccinations are the preferred and even mandated treatment to prevent contracting and spreading Covid-19, if someone tests positive and acts within 10 days of mild to moderate symptoms, there is a treatment with a 70% success rate of preventing hospitalization or death.