Patients with COVID-19 can reduce their risk of hospitalization and death by up to 85 percent if they receive monoclonal antibody treatments in the early stages of their disease, Dr. Anthony Fauci said Tuesday.
The White House chief medical adviser said administering antibodies made in the lab to fight the virus before a patient is hospitalized can prevent the chances of serious illness by 70 to 85 percent.
“It is important to note that this should be done before infection and not wait, of course, until a person is ill enough to be hospitalized,” Fauci said at a COVID-19 press conference.
“That’s when you get the best effect. And, again, because this is an underused intervention, we want people out there, including doctors and potential patients, to realize the advantage of this effective way of treating early infection. ”
Fauci said the treatment could significantly benefit certain risk groups, such as those over 65, pregnant women and people with a compromised immune system.
“In short, this is a very effective intervention for COVID-19. It is underused and we recommend that we use it to the fullest, ”said Fauci.