saskatchewan premier scott moe has repeatedly talked up the treatment . on several occasions during the present wave of covid-19 cases in the province, he said he had pushed the federal government to provide monoclonal antibody products to saskatchewan.
doctors in the province have called the treatment a useful tool while still pointing to its limitations. it isn’t effective against severe illness and can cost roughly $2,000 per dose .
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monoclonal antibodies are no replacement for vaccines, which remain the gold standard for preventing covid-19 . chief medical health officer dr. saqib shahab compared the antibody treatment to the ambulance that may or may not get to you in time after a car accident. the vaccine, by contrast, is the seatbelt.
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starting on nov. 1, residents can assess their eligibility for monoclonal antibodies on the province’s covid-19 website at saskatchewan.ca/covid-19 . but the final decision on treatment rests with physicians, and people cannot self-refer.