“Do not neglect fragile patients in the post-pandemic phase”

2023-06-15 17:19:00

“The use of monoclonal antibodies in this post-pandemic phase in the Covid-19 infection it certainly plays a very important role in the fragile population. By now even the general population rightfully wants to forget what we’ve been through, though we absolutely must not neglect and leave out fragile people because they have an immunocompromise induced by some therapies or other pathologies or they are immunocompromised due to age problems”. This was stated by Sergio Lo Caputo, associate professor of infectious diseases of the Riuniti polyclinic of Foggia and of the University of Foggia, on the sidelines of the congress ‘Icar-Italian conference on aids and antiviral research’, underway in Bari.

“The use of monoclonal antibodies, especially sotrovimab – he adds – also has an effector function on the immune system because it helps it eliminate the virus. Clinical experience – observes Lo Caputo – confirms the efficacy of the early administration of sotrovimab in fragile patients We must not forget that the main problem we have been facing in recent months is the late diagnosis of Covid”, underlines the infectious disease specialist. “No one wants to take the test anymore, but in the frail person, as soon as there is any suspicion, it is absolutely advisable to take the swab and, in case of positivity, send it to the infectious disease departments where, in a day service regime without hospitalization, it is give sotrovimab”.

Returning to the theme of the congress ‘from prevention to cure, ready for new challenges’ in HIV, Lo Caputo underlines that “the experience of the pandemic has taught us how important prevention is” which also applies “in sexually transmitted infections. The culture of the rapid test – he reiterates – is a culture that we learned during the pandemic, therefore doing rapid tests means making an early diagnosis, acting promptly, reducing the number of people who can become infected and – he concludes – treating people who have become infected ”.