Federal officials taking over Georgia's supply of COVID antibody drugs
(CDC )
ATLANTA - Federal health officials will now decide whether COVID-19 patients in Georgia should receive antibody treatments.
A recent surge in demand for antibody drugs has health leaders worried about a possible shortage.
Georiga and other Southern states are expected to get a smaller supply of the drugs while the shortage continues.
To be most effective, the antibody cocktail must be given within 10 days of COVID-19 infection or exposure.
"It's not a silver bullet. It's much, much, much more important to be vaccinated. But, in case you're not vaccinated, or even if you have been vaccinated and have a breakthrough infection, earlier in the course of the disease, monoclonal antibodies can help reduce the viral load and reduce the risk of hospitalization up to 70%," says Dr. Filipe Lobelo, an epidemiologist at Kaiser Permanente Georgia.
The federal government has shipped about 2.4 million treatment doses to more than 8,000 sites across the United States.
As of one week ago, about 1 million of those treatments had been used.
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