Demand for monoclonal antibodies to treat COVID-19 is way up in the U.S., especially in the South.
Seven states make up 70 percent of orders for this therapy, which boosts the immune system's ability to fight off Covid early in a patient's infection.
These states are Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Texas.
Many of these states have experienced recent surges, but residents have been hesitant to get vaccinated or take other precautions.
In order to better control supplies of this important treatment, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will start managing its distribution while also purchasing more than one million additional doses.
About 2.17 million doses of the treatment have been distributed in the U.S. thus far.
The demand for monoclonal antibodies reveals the cost of treating Covid patients, as one dose of an antibody treatment costs over 100 times more than one dose of a vaccine.
Demand is high for monoclonal antibody treatments like Regeneron, prompting the HHS to take over distribution. Pictured: A box and vial of the Regeneron treatment, in use at a Florida treatment site in August 2021
The monoclonal antibody treatments are most effective when utilized early in a patient's infection - helping them stay out of the hospital. Pictured: A critical care nurse treats a Covid patient in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, in September 2021
Monoclonal antibodies have become an increasingly popular treatment for Covid in recent months.
The treatment consists of lab-made antibodies, types of immune system proteins that the body typically produces in response to an infection.
Scientists have designed monoclonal antibody treatments specifically to fight the coronavirus.
These antibodies are primed and ready to help the immune system - preventing a Covid infection from turning severe enough that a patient needs to go to the hospital.
The treatment works best for people who are early in their disease progression, meaning they recently tested positive for Covid.
The HHS particularly recommends that patients seek out this treatment if they have underlying conditions putting them at higher risk of severe symptoms.
As Covid cases spiked during the Delta surge, demand grew for monoclonal antibodies.
Demand is particularly high in states with lower vaccination rates, such as Florida and Texas.
In Florida, Governor Ron DeSantis has endorsed the treatment, setting up state-run sites where
