President J. Stuart Adams releases the following statement regarding monoclonal antibody treatments:
“Monoclonal antibody treatments are showing extremely promising results. Intermountain Healthcare’s study indicates with the treatment, Utah could see a 57 percent reduction in hospitalizations a day of those who would otherwise be hospitalized. I believe monoclonal antibody treatment will move the needle to reduce hospitalizations and save lives.
“On August 9, Intermountain Healthcare held a press conference about the effectiveness of the treatment and were extremely encouraged by the results of their study. Today, Davis Hospital and Medical Center is opening a monoclonal antibody treatment center. Tomorrow, Intermountain Healthcare will open a treatment center in Murray. This is great news for our state, and I urge the Utah Department of Health and local health departments to open more centers across Utah to provide monoclonal antibody treatments to Utahns who test positive for COVID-19.
“In Utah, there have been 13,747 breakthrough COVID-19 cases. Of those, there were 740 hospitalizations and 78 deaths. The monoclonal antibody treatment, which the FDA approved for emergency use against COVID-19, could have kept some individuals out of the hospitals, reducing the strain on healthcare workers and possibly preventing deaths.
“It is our duty to do everything in our power to save as many lives as possible. We cannot turn a blind eye to any treatment that will prevent additional hospitalizations and deaths. With the treatment covered by the federal government, it eliminates financial hurdles Utahns might feel when deciding to get the treatment. We must continue to work toward making treatment widely available and convenient for Utahns. It is important that we take steps forward, not backward, in our COVID-19 response and mitigate hospitals from being overwhelmed.
“I appreciate healthcare workers for their continued dedication and commitment to providing the best care possible for their patients. Their efforts have not gone unnoticed, and I am extremely grateful for everything they have done during the pandemic. We owe it to our healthcare workers to try every avenue to decrease their workload and give them much-needed reprieve.
“I continue to encourage vaccinations and still believe it is the best form of defense against the virus.”
Tags: Monoclonal Antibody Treatment, President J. Stuart Adams