This is what Ron DeSantis' COVID fight with the FDA is really all about

[Nevilledog]

Link to tweet

https://www.rawstory.com/this-is-what-ron-desantis-fight-with-the-fda-is-really-all-about/

The FDA has announced that two of the monoclonal antibody treatments that have been useful in treating COVID are not effective in treating the omicron variant, so the government is no longer going to be distributing those treatments. That sounds quite reasonable, right? You don't want to be giving people treatments that you know don't work. That would be malpractice.

So naturally, Donald Trump's mini-me, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, is having a fit over the decision. After all, DeSantis clearly thought he figured out a cunning way to avoid pushing the vaccines and angering the GOP's rabid anti-vax base while still pretending to offer some solution to the raging pandemic. His entire COVID response has been based upon the idea that the monoclonal antibody treatments are the answer. The fact that vaccines offer the best protection against serious disease in the first place was never of interest to DeSantis. Neither was the fact that monoclonal antibody treatments cost around $2,100. Vaccines, meanwhile, cost about $20-$40. For supposed fiscally conservative Republicans, that's quite a waste of government money.

DeSantis' plan was always a little too cute by half and it didn't work very well as a medical intervention. But as a political strategy, it was quite effective.

Building on his months-long crusade against masks and mitigation efforts he began whining about the federal government's alleged unfair distribution of the treatments back in September when the Delta variant was still raging. There were plenty of the treatments available but he got tons of praise from the right-wing media anyway and further established his MAGA bonafide. Then in December, the National Institute of Health (NIH) discovered that the treatments were not working against the omicron variant so they advised the government to pause its distribution. Once again DeSantis and company went ballistic, ostentatiously pounding their chests and insisting that the federal government was denying the people of Florida their life-saving treatments. At the time, Delta still made up about 25% of cases so the feds relented and resumed distribution to Florida. Today, omicron makes up 99% of the cases in the U.S. and these treatments remain ineffective against it. Even the pharmaceutical manufacturers who make them agree.

*snip*

[slightlv]

1. How much money does DeSantis

have riding on Regeneron? Is it in stock? Or is it political donations? Or is it in outright bribes? Money has GOT to be the bottom line here... sure, he wants to be the trumpiest of trumps out there, but when push comes to shove... it's ALWAYS about greed with Repuglicans.

[Eugene]

3. DeathSentence's biggest donor is CEO of Regeneron's 2nd biggest investor.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100215747507

[Alexander Of Assyria]

2. Article says his quackery was politically effective...how the fkon does anti-science b effective?

Effective at what, article doesn’t say…assuming effective at spiking the koolaid.

[Nevilledog]

4. Effective because he didn't have to push vaccinations and could say he was saving people...

...by pushing the monoclonal antibodies. He had state run monoclonal antibody clinics set up. Not a science based response, but we know they hate science.