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Website helps Kentuckians search for health care facilities that provide antibody treatments

Monoclonal antibodies
Posted at 10:08 AM, Oct 01, 2021
and last updated 2021-10-01 10:08:04-04

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Kentuckians can now tap into the state’s COVID-19 website to help them search for health care facilities that provide monoclonal antibody treatment.

Supplies of the therapy are limited because of high demand nationally, Dr. Steven Stack, Kentucky’s public health commissioner, said Thursday. For people infected with COVID-19, the treatment can help give their immune system a boost, helping reduce the likelihood of hospitalization, he said.

“Based on the available inventory, we fulfill as fully as possible every request,” Stack said. “Now the last two weeks, we have not been able to meet 100% of the requested doses. But we’ve been able to come close.”

Kentucky received about 6,100 antibody treatments this week, about 800 fewer than last week, Stack said. The number of weekly COVID-19 cases and virus patients hospitalized are part of the calculation to determine the amount of antibody treatments the federal government allocates to each state.