A Northern Kentucky hospital has been tapped to be one of a handful of sites across that state that will provide monoclonal antibody treatment in the fight against COVID-19. St. Elizabeth will be one of 51 facilities set to become a regional administration center. Dr. Steven Stack with the Kentucky Department of Health made the announcement Thursday, saying that their use has been effective.Monoclonal antibodies are synthetic, laboratory-created antibodies. They give patients a temporary immune boost, ideally helping people who are already sick have milder symptoms. They do not teach a patient’s body how to create its own antibodies.“For folks who become infected, the monoclonal antibodies can help give your immune system a boost by giving you lab-created antibodies that try to counteract the COVID virus,” Stack said. “They are effective. they are 75-80% effective helping to reduce your likelihood of hospitalization.”Nationwide demand for the antibodies has been high. Kentucky’s COVID-19 website is expected to launch information about the St. Elizabeth program later Thursday.Pointing to a recent decline in coronavirus-related hospitalizations, Kentucky officials are hoping the new month will be much better than September when the delta variant pummeled the state.Hospitalizations due to COVID-19 decreased based on a rolling average during the past seven days, and the number of virus patients in intensive care units is also lower, Gov. Andy Beshear said.“This is now enough of a trend to say we are in a decline, and we hope it continues for people hospitalized because of COVID," the governor said at a news conference.Kentucky was hard hit by a prolonged coronavirus surge, fueled by the highly contagious delta variant as virus cases, hospitalizations and deaths escalated, mostly among people unvaccinated against the virus. While virus deaths have remained high, there have been other signs of hope for a downturn in the outbreak. On Wednesday, the governor said that COVID-19 cases were continuing to level off.
A Northern Kentucky hospital has been tapped to be one of a handful of sites across that state that will provide monoclonal antibody treatment in the fight against COVID-19.
St. Elizabeth will be one of 51 facilities set to become a regional administration center.
Dr. Steven Stack with the Kentucky Department of Health made the announcement Thursday, saying that their use has been effective.
Monoclonal antibodies are synthetic, laboratory-created antibodies. They give patients a temporary immune boost, ideally helping people who are already sick have milder symptoms. They do not teach a patient’s body how to create its own antibodies.
“For folks who become infected, the monoclonal antibodies can help give your immune system a boost by giving you lab-created antibodies that try to counteract the COVID virus,” Stack said. “They are effective. they are 75-80% effective helping to reduce your likelihood of hospitalization.”
Nationwide demand for the antibodies has been high. Kentucky’s COVID-19 website is expected to launch information about the St. Elizabeth program later Thursday.
Pointing to a recent decline in coronavirus-related hospitalizations, Kentucky officials are hoping the new month will be much better than September when the delta variant pummeled the state.
Hospitalizations due to COVID-19 decreased based on a rolling average during the past seven days, and the number of virus patients in intensive care units is also lower, Gov. Andy Beshear said.
“This is now enough of a trend to say we are in a decline, and we hope it continues for people hospitalized because of COVID," the governor said at a news conference.
Kentucky was hard hit by a prolonged coronavirus surge, fueled by the highly contagious delta variant as virus cases, hospitalizations and deaths escalated, mostly among people unvaccinated against the virus. While virus deaths have remained high, there have been other signs of hope for a downturn in the outbreak. On Wednesday, the governor said that COVID-19 cases were continuing to level off.
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