WARNER ROBINS, Ga. — Regeneron treatments are an artificial "antibody cocktail" infusion for those who test positive for COVID-19. Now, that demand has created a statewide shortage.
Linda Gove is one of the thousands who got the REGN-COV19 treatment at Houston Health Pavilion.
"Prior to getting sick, I had been doing a little bit of research as far as what I what do if I got sick," she said.
The treatment combines two monoclonal antibodies to fight the virus and keep serious symptoms and hospitalization at bay.
"I believe it was effective for me. I don't doubt for a minute that it's what kept me out of the hospital. If I get sick again, I will go and try and find it again," she said.
As a result of shortages due to demand, the government announced it's changing the way the treatments would be distributed.
That shortage has hit Houston Health Pavilion. In a Facebook post, they said their ability to provide to its patients has been affected, but at The Medical Center, Atrium Health Navicent, Dr. Sandy Duke says that's not the case.
"The allocation from the state is based upon your use, so we've not experienced a decline in the amount of monoclonal antibody that we've received such that it's not required us to change prescribing patterns and we've not seeing a challenge in us meeting the needs in our community in our facility," Duke explained.
He says since the beginning of the fourth COVID surge, they've administered 100 treatments while Houston Health Pavilion has surpassed 2000.
"The way that we do it is your physician or emergency room or urgent care could make a referral based on the diagnosis of COVID, and the risk of you having complications for that and referral would become the order for you to have monoclonal antibodies," he said.
Gove says the treatment has worked for her, and she hopes everyone can get it.
"Of course, you have to test positive, but then you have to be over 65, you have to have underlying conditions, but to me, anybody that needs it, it should be accessible to them," she said.
Representatives for Houston Health Pavilion could not comment but says they're working with suppliers on inventory levels and maintain the best thing the public can do is get the vaccine.
The Georgia Department of Public Health says they will identify which sites in the state will receive product and how much. However, they say monoclonal antibody treatments are not a replacement for the vaccine.