A new covid treatment is saving Lexington County patients’ lives.

Monoclonal antibody therapy has increased each week since November, reports Cristi Moore of the Department of Health and Environmental Control.

“To date, more than 1,200 patients in South Carolina with confirmed covid who are at greater risk for hospitalization and severe disease have successfully received this one dose treatment.

“DHEC is bringing additional hospitals and other outpatient practices on board to provide this infusion treatment.

“Whether a facility decides to offer a particular monoclonal antibody therapy may be related to logistics and supplies needed to perform the infusion.

“Giving this treatment as an outpatient infusion to an infectious person is logistically complex and can be challenging for some.

“We encourage people who have confirmed covid to discuss options with their healthcare provider.”

Monoclonal antibody therapies from Eli Lilly and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals were approved for emergency use in November.

The antibodies work by taking a page from the body’s own antibody defenses, targeting specific spots on intruding pathogens.

Eli Lilly’s bamlanivimab and Regeneron’s casirivimab-and-imdevimab cocktail target the covid spike protein and are injected intravenously.

Early trial data of the therapies found they could reduce hospitalization or emergency visits among high-risk patients.