The monoclonal antibody treatment now available at South Carolina pharmacies, locals optimistic about the results of the treatment

The monoclonal antibody treatment was initially used in Florida when the state was facing the peak of the Delta wave and the treatment gave the results in a matter of days, lowering the number of hospitalized positive Covid-19 patients.

Since then, many other states, including South Carolina, decided to offer the same treatment to patients with mild symptoms leading to supply shortage due to high demand.

The treatment seems to be very popular among South Carolinians and in an effort to make it easier for the patients to get the treatment, now some pharmacies decided to offer the treatment primarily planned to be given at the hospitals.

Sweetgrass Pharmacy in Mount Pleasant is one of the pharmacies that is DHEC-approved to administer the treatment.

“A monoclonal antibody is made from cloning a unique white blood cell,” said Dr. Cynthia Feldman, the owner of Sweetgrass Pharmacy.

As we already reported, the treatment is meant for patients with mild symptoms who have been tested positive few days prior to day when they should receive the treatment. The monoclonal antibody treatment is not meant to be replacement for vaccines, but has proven to prevent Covid-19 progress in most of the cases.

“If you have a positive test for COVID and it’s likely that your symptoms are going to progress, meaning the disease is going to progress and be more severe then you are a candidate,” said Dr. Feldman.

There’s also other criteria.

“If you are greater than 65-years-old, have a body mass index of greater than 25, kidney disease, cardiovascular disease, pregnancy,” said Dr. Feldman.

Those who are eligible and want to receive the treatment, will be injected with four injections, administered in a row. Then the patient stays at the pharmacy for an hour after to be monitored.

Dr. Feldman explained how the treatment work for those who are not informed. This is what she said:

“The Regenco Monoclonal antibody works by binding to the virus itself. Once it binds to the virus it prevents that virus from replicating, which then causes the viral load to decrease,” Dr. Feldman said.

The earlier the treatment is received after one is tested positive on Covid-19, the better the final results will be. However, everyone needs a doctor’s prescription for the treatment.