Supply of COVID-19 Treatment Dwindling
Vaccination rates are rising in rural America amid the shrinking supply of monoclonal antibodies in seven states.
Monoclonal antibodies target the part of the virus that causes COVID-19 that allows it to enter a host cell by binding to it, preventing it from infecting human cells. The government shipped over two million doses to 8,000 hospitals in the country, but 44% of the supply has already been used up, according to Georgia Health News.
Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Texas have used up a bulk of the pricey treatment, causing the federal government to start controlling its distribution, according to Poynter. These states also have some of the lowest vaccination rates and highest COVID-19 infection rates in the country.
The federal government has already stepped in to control distribution in Georgia: Candler County Hospital in east Georgia normally gives 100 to 125 doses to patients per week, but recently only received 48 doses. Some Georgian hospitals have even postponed or temporarily stopped their monoclonal antibody treatments.
Tennessee, which has one of the worst vaccination rates in the country at 44.1%, recently recommended that doctors and hospitals only use monoclonal antibodies to treat unvaccinated patients, as they are considered more high risk than vaccinated patients.
Read more from NBC News here.
There is some good news: vaccination rates in rural America reached their highest level in three months, according to an analysis by A Daily Yonder.
“The increase in newly completed vaccinations came as the rural death rate from COVID-19 climbed to twice that of metropolitan areas,” they wrote.
Read more from Poynter.
In other news:
- Dallas County Health and Human Services has partnered with the State Fair of Texas to offer Pfizer vaccines. First, second, and booster doses are available. The clinic can be found behind Big Tex, in between the Tower and Grand buildings.
- Some similar symptoms associated with COVID-19, seasonal allergies, the flu, asthma, and the common cold can make it difficult to determine what ails you. Below is a graphic that can help guide you and your family on whether it is just a cold, or something more serious.
