"Lemon Socialist" Governors Grasp at Antibody Treatments as the Solution
What to do? You'd think the governors might take steps to increase vaccine uptake. For example, they could require vaccinations or recent negative tests for state employees, like they are doing in California. They could require the same for people to access fun stuff, like they are doing in New York.
But their own politics are denying them this sensible public health option—the only one that will get us out of this nightmare. So they need to think of something else. If only there were some way to save people after their stubbornness and stupidity has already gotten them sick.
Antibodies to the Rescue!
All three like the idea of antibody treatments, like the one that (unfortunately) saved the life of their Orange hero. Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey likes the idea so much he is directing $50 million of federal relief funds to hospitals that administer antibody treatments.
His pal Gov. Ron "Florida Man" DeSantis has been hawking antibody treatments too. It doesn't hurt that his top donor is invested in the company that makes the treatment.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has also hopped on the antibody bandwagon. His spokesman said:
Governor Abbott’s doctor prescribed Regeneron's monoclonal antibody therapy treatment, which is available at no cost to all Texans who get a doctor’s referral. It is recommended that Texans testing positive for COVID-19 seek this antibody therapeutic drug because of its effectiveness to help keep people out of hospitals.
Abbott contracted COVID-19 and got treated with Regeneron despite it being unclear whether he qualifies.
Not Everyone is Eligible
Not everyone is eligible for antibody treatments. There are criteria limiting treatment to those who have mild to moderate COVID-19 cases who are at high-risk of becoming seriously ill. This includes those over 65 and people with certain chronic medical conditions.
If you think that restriction is trivial, read this heartbreaking story of an Arizona husband and wife who were both infected. She got antibody treatment because she was overweight and quickly recovered. Her husband did not qualify and is currently on hospice care. The story didn't say if they were vaccinated. I'm guessing not.
It Isn't Really Free
All the available treatment option are advertised as "free," but of course they are not. Regeneron antibody treatments cost $1250 a pop.
Meanwhile, vaccines cost at most $100 for a full course of treatment. They keep people out of the hospital too, are over ten times cheaper, and unlike antibody treatments are available to everyone over 12 years old.
Lemon Socialism
Ducey, DeSantis, and Abbott are perfect examples of lemon socialists. They privatize profits while socializing costs. In this case the profits are leaving their ideology intact and allowing their supporters to enjoy their "freedom" to be irresponsible, get the disease, and spread it to others.
The costs are borne by everyone, including the majority of us who have done the right thing by getting vaccinated. This is something I've complained about before. Through our tax payments and/or insurance premiums we are already underwriting hospitalization of the unvaccinated.
Now the Three COVIDiots want us to pay for an after-the-fact treatment that costs over 10x as much as a vaccination. What ever happened to small-government, fiscally responsible conservatism? Was that just another political scam that's disposable when conservatives don't like its outcomes?
"Antibody Molecule" by sc63 is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0
