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02-28-2021 07:50 AM
Thank you for this information regarding a new discovery of treatment for COVID. I have always wondered if I would see uses for monoclonal antibodies in medicine!
I have a question directed toward you regarding vaccine testing because I figured you might know the answer.
How do they determine the "efficacy" of a vaccine?
Also, they cannot use the production of antibodies after exposure to COVID can they as a gauge of vaccine efficacy, since people do not produce much antibody response, right?
02-28-2021 07:58 AM
02-28-2021 07:58 AM
02-28-2021 08:03 AM
@pitdakota @millieshops @on the bay @Kiakc @Desertdi
Here is another source of information:
02-28-2021 08:14 AM
@LTT1 Thanks for the information. I try to keep myself relatively up to date because I am convinced the medical community is learning day by day, doctor by nurse by researcher, what Covid is up to.
There is no way to know, but I believe it’s quite possible that the special friends I lost in the early months last year could have lived if only Covid hadn’t found them while the medical front line workers were so overwhelmed just trying treatments that had worked for previous viruses.
02-28-2021 09:01 AM
I'm reading more now too, since it seems there are new ideas brewing now.
At first, I believe everyone was overwhelmed and in denial...I know I was.
But I think the fact remains that monoclonal antibody treatment gives hope.
This treatment will save lives when a person is very ill or likely to be very ill with this virus. Trump was given the treatment... as far as I know the treatment was not in general use.
I have always thought that there could be many medical uses for monoclonal abs...I believe even for cancer treatment.
02-28-2021 11:52 AM
The incredible thing is these antibodies were not in short supply.
They are available and not to very ill patients but people with mild to moderate covd symptoms within 10 days of being affected with the virus.
The protocol now is if someone receives the antibodies they must wait 90 days to get the vaccine.
Anyway, there is information about these antibodies and why they were not used more often to the amazement of many-doctors, those who distributed them etc. They had supplies just not being used.
There are many articles about this.
02-28-2021 12:22 PM
02-28-2021 01:50 PM
@LTT1 wrote:
Thank you for this information regarding a new discovery of treatment for COVID. I have always wondered if I would see uses for monoclonal antibodies in medicine!
I have a question directed toward you regarding vaccine testing because I figured you might know the answer.
How do they determine the "efficacy" of a vaccine?
Also, they cannot use the production of antibodies after exposure to COVID can they as a gauge of vaccine efficacy, since people do not produce much antibody response, right?
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Hi @LTT1! Every clinical trial whether it is for a new vaccine or a treatment of some type will define and set parameters as to how they define or determine infection, a certain response they are looking for, etc.
But in general to answer your question, all participants in a clinical trial would be followed & monitored. To determine efficacy of the vaccine they would look at how many people in the vaccine arm develops the infection. They will define how that is determined, what type of test they use for diagnosis, most then required a lab draw to confirm serological evidence for viral identification.
Basically, vaccine efficacy = number of vaccinated individuals that did not develop infection and number of subjects that did develop infection.
They aren't looking at the presence of antibodies in those subjects that develop infection since that information would not have anything to do with vaccine efficacy.
At the time a subject develops infection the emphasis for the study is the degree and length of symptoms, whether they required hospitalization or not, what treatment was necessary if hospitalized (high flow oxygen, ventilator, etc).
I hope that helps answer your question.
02-28-2021 02:29 PM
@on the bay wrote:I've posted this before but these monoclonal antibodies were what our mother was able to get, yes the same that the former pres got.
They probably saved her life.
If you search under these you will see many articles about why these were not used more frequently.
It was not the lack of supply as many doctors and hospitals said they had supplies not being used.
Many thought these were only available for presidents and similar.
Not true.
And another untruth is that people who only were hospitalized could get these. NO. They are used before a patient got severe enough to be hospitalized and within 10 days of getting covd with mild to moderate symptoms and over 65 and/or immunocompromized.
That is how these work.
Not all are given in a hospital walk in situation. Each state in the US was given these. How they distributed them or made them available was the hold up.
Yes, these could and have saved lives.
These are not new but have been poorly utilized in many states, just as the vaccine distribution has been.
Yet one state immediately uses them when an elderly or immuno comromised patient gets covd. The senior living memory care facilities are aware wheras in other states like our mothers, the facility knew nothing about it and just kept their covd patients in their rooms telling them to hydrate. Great. I'm sure that is why several residents died. Now they know about these after we made sure they knew.My mother got it from sheer determination from her family and a great doctor she had had for years who was aware of these.
These are available to everyone who has these criteria.
And for those who are skeptical of taking a new vaccine or med, I am probably one of the most distrustful people of medications prescribed so regularly or all the vaccines and shots they advise, but I would and was grateful for these antibodies and also the vaccine.
Once you have seen a loved one die on a ventilator face down where a month before they were living. Dying alone. You would maybe rethink all your fears and doubts and do anything to prevent that type of death for yourself or those you love.
Anyway, the main point of all this.
If you or a family or friend gets covd ,
remember these antibodies and get their PC to get them started. You can also look up where in your state they administer them. It has to be within 10 days of receiving covd.
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@on the bay, there were a couple of things in that did lead to a shortage in availability of monoclonal antibodies. And we did in fact have a short period of time here where that came into play.
When they were first distributed back in late last year, there were hospitals that declined shipments since they did not have the staff or equipment to administer the monoclonal antibodies.
Not just anyone can infuse the treatment and in more rural areas hospitals declined to take the shipment since they didn't have trained staff to administer the treatment. Then when those hospitals started to see a surge they had fairly large number of patients that needed care and other surrounding metro hospitals were too full to take those patients. They got their staff trained and then no one could cough up the monoclonal antibody treatment supply. Other metro hospitals had their supply but were readily using it dealing with the surge & would gladly treat the patient if they made the 100 mile trip, etc.. Consequently, the patient could be transferred to a larger metro area that did infusions, but then those areas that had been administering the therapy were running low.
So there were things that did lead to a shortage of the antibody treatment when they wanted to use it. Fortunately, here they were able to get some of those things worked out but there was certainly a period of time here in which patients that could have used the treatment were not able to get it.
Our news did cover that other states and that many had the supply but that doctors were not ordering it but that is not what happened in my area.
At any rate, glad they worked the problem out so that they could offer it to those that could really benefit because obviously, it worked! Just as it did in your mother's case.
So very glad your mother was able to get the treatment!!! This is just when you want to do the happy dance!
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