Dr. Anthony Fauci claimed on Tuesday that an antibody treatment previously championed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis can reduce the risk of COVID-19 hospitalization or death by 70% to 85%.
The director for the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases showcased three different monoclonal antibodies during a White House press briefing that when injected into a person target the spike protein of COVID-19. Fauci explained that the treatments could lessen infection symptoms and prevent hospitalization.
Fauci is not the first person to recommend the antibodies, as DeSantis endorsed the same treatments in early August. An investigation from the Associated Press questioned the financial ties between DeSantis’s top donor and the company producing the antibodies, casting doubt on the governor’s motivations for promoting the treatments.
DeSantis sent a letter to the Associated Press after the report was published, criticizing the outlet for implying that his support for the treatment was politically driven.
“You succeeded in publishing a misleading, clickbait headline about one of your political opponents, but at the expense of deterring individuals infected with COVID from seeking life-saving treatment, which will cost lives,” the governor’s letter said. “Was it worth it?”
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Products from companies Eli Lilly, Regeneron, and GSK/Vir were endorsed by Fauci as valid antibody treatments. All three have received emergency use authorizations from the Food and Drug Administration, meaning that adults and children ages 12 and up are eligible to receive the antibodies.
If taken early after testing positive, a person is far less likely to be hospitalized from the disease, Fauci said.
“So, bottom line is: This is a very effective intervention for COVID-19,” Fauci said. “It is underutilized, and we recommend strongly that we utilize this to its fullest.”
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On Aug. 24, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported approximately 150,000 new cases of infection in the United States despite 61% of the population having received a first dose of the vaccine and nearly 52% being fully vaccinated.
