Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has staked his reputation on a contrarian COVID-19 emphasis. While the Republican has defied CDC guidance on universal mask wearing in schools – he’s threatened to withhold funding from districts that adopt a mandate – he’s gone all in on monoclonal antibody treatments.
As of August 18th, the state has opened up four sites that distribute the drug, which is designed to stop the progression of COVID-19 symptoms once they appear in infected patients. Since Florida hospitals are overloaded with new COVID-19 cases, monoclonal antibodies distribution sites can help alleviate the strain. They’ve popped up in places like parks and libraries. DeSantis has been the drug’s biggest public cheerleader and he’s promised to make them more readily available.
But a grim image circulating on social media – and verified by a local NBC affiliate – reveals the shortcomings of that approach. Whereas vaccines and masks help stop COVID-19 before it sickens people, monoclonal antibodies only work once a patient has tested positive for the virus. But many people only get tested because they’ve already exhibited symptoms. If those symptoms are severe, monoclonal antibodies won’t work. This is all to say: timing the treatment is tricky, especially since Florida doesn’t require a doctor’s referral.
Which brings us back to the photo. The woman pictured lying on the floor of the Jacksonville Main Library Conference Center is obviously in desperate need of help. The Reddit user who originally posted the photo wrote, “Everyone please be careful – whether you are vaccinated or not. My husband (vaccinated, but positive) has been waiting 2+ hours for monoclonal therapy and he says he has never seen people so sick. Moaning, crying, unable to move.”
According to First Coast News, the city of Jacksonville explained that the library had seen an influx of patients seeking treatment and had run out of wheelchairs. A spokesperson for the city explained, “This treatment is meant to keep people OUT of the hospital and is designed for those early on in their COVID-19 diagnosis or for those who believe they have been exposed to COVID. Individuals with severe symptoms should contact a medical professional for guidance on the proper treatment for their situation.”
First Coast News also connected with a spokesperson for the Florida Department of Health:
She said cots are available for patients, and “when someone is at that level [pictured], they are moved” and helped to a better location. She also said if someone is in a state where they need to be transported to a hospital, there are ambulatory services to ensure they’re taken quickly to a hospital.
The Florida DOH spokesperson also said there are people and resources available at the site to give patients everything they need medically. Healthcare workers at the site make the judgement call if someone is too sick to get the treatment and should go to the hospital instead, the spokesperson said.
Monoclonal antibodies are more expensive, more time consuming, and more resource intensive to administer than the abundantly available vaccines. While the treatment – which then President Trump received in October – is considered an important breakthrough in treating COVID-19, Florida would be less dependent on it if their governor made an effort to stop the spread of the virus before it infected his constituents.
