COVID-19: Florida opens new monoclonal antibody site west of Lake Worth

Florida's Health Department has opened a second COVID-19 monoclonal antibody treatment site west of Lake Worth Beach.

The site opened its doors Tuesday at the West Boynton Recreation Center at 6000 Northtree Boulevard, the end of the road, just west of Park Vista High School.

Medical workers will administer doses of the Regeneron monoclonal antibody treatment from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, the health department said.

Monoclonal antibodies are made in a laboratory and are given to patients directly through an infusion. When administered promptly, they make it more difficult for the virus to reproduce and cause harm.

Regeneron's treatment has been proved effective against the delta strain of the coronavirus, but not the omicron variant, which accounts for most COVID-19 infections across the nation right now.

The only drug approved in America that meets that challenge is made by pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline. Its doses are in short supply and not available at the two treatment sites in Palm Beach County listed on the health department's website.

Another Regeneron monoclonal antibody-dispensing site in Palm Beach County operates at Westgate Park, at 3691 Oswego Park, outside West Palm Beach; west of Interstate 95 and south of Okeechobee Boulevard. The state used to run the site before turning it over to Miami-based CDR Maguire Inc.

Schedule an appointment at either site at https://www.patientportalfl.com/s/?language=en_US

Chris Persaud is a data reporter for The Palm Beach Post.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: COVID-19: Florida opens new monoclonal antibody site west of Lake Worth