FORT PIERCE, Fla. — One part of President Donald Trump's care for COVID-19 has been the use of a new antibody drug cocktail. That drug is now available in a local clinical trial.
In recent weeks, Dr. Moti Ramgopal has seen his COVID-19 patient load drop from more than 100 to about 20.
"Wearing masks is such an important part in preventing the spread of COVID," Dr. Ramgopal, with the Midway Immunology and Research Center, said.
Now, the Fort Pierce infectious disease doctor is engaging in another potential game changer in the coronavirus fight.
His office taking part in a clinical trial involving an experimental antibody cocktail by Regeneron, the same one Trump was given.
Ramgopal said it can be used not just with hospitalized patients, but also for those who may have been exposed at home.
At nearby Lawnwood Regional Medical Center, the hospital was one of the first in Florida to use remdesivir as a treatment option.
The drug saved the life of a St. Lucie West Centennial High School student.
"And we've come a long way from there," Dr. Michael Bakerman, the chief of medicine at Lawnwood Regional Medical Center, said. "You remember early on, we had no options. It was just supportive treatment for patients who came in with a viral syndrome."
Bakerman said the president's care has generally followed what they would do.
"We'd really like to be aggressive early on rather than coming in at the back end, so his treatment is generally following those principles," Bakerman said.
With flu season approaching and COVID-19 still here, Bakerman is advising people to a flu shot, wear a mask, social distance, and wash your hands.
If you want to enroll in the clinical trial in Fort Pierce, call 772-595-9830.
