Submitted photo From left, Dr. Erin McCreary, UPMC director of stewardship innovation and infectious diseases pharmacist, and Dr. Graham Snyder, UPMC medical director of infection prevention and hospital epidemiology, during a virtual news conference Tuesday that UPMC hosted to discuss the Delta variant of COVID-19 and monoclonal antibody treatments.

UPMC health care officials are advising people that they can continue to be safe from the Delta variant of COVID-19 by following the same guidelines issued throughout the pandemic — wear a mask, practice social distancing and get vaccinated.

On Tuesday, UPMC hosted a virtual news conference featuring Dr. Graham Snyder, UPMC medical director of infection prevention and hospital epidemiology, and Dr. Erin McCreary, UPMC director of stewardship innovation and infectious diseases pharmacist. Both discussed the Delta variant and the new prophylactic use of monoclonal antibodies for people who have been exposed to the virus.

Snyder said the Delta variant has been identified in all UPMC service areas. He said, since the start of the pandemic, that COVID-19 variants were always expected to occur.

“It takes discipline and persistence to thwart COVID-19’s evolution,” she said. “Staying safe from the Delta variant requires the same response we’ve established over the last nearly 18 months, including masking, distancing, early diagnosis and vaccination.”

Snyder said all vaccines have been proven effective against COVID-19 and, in most cases, can prevent hospitalizations and death for those who do contract the virus.

“The vaccines currently available — J&J, Moderna and Pfizer — are effective against the Delta variant, and I cannot stress enough how safe they are. They do exceptionally well at preventing serious complications, like hospitalization and death,” he said. “Vaccination is a cornerstone to blunting the impact of the pandemic on our communities. We strongly encourage everyone in our community who is eligible to get the vaccine as soon as possible.”

At the peak of the pandemic in December 2020, Snyder said there were 1,200 COVID-19 patients in UPMC health care centers. He said UPMC, currently, only has about a tenth, or 120, patients with COVID-19.

“We strongly encourage everyone in our community, including our health care workers, to get vaccinated as soon as possible,” he said.

McCreary discussed treatments using monoclonal antibodies, which UPMC has been doing since November of last year. She said the monoclonal antibodies work against the Delta variant and can decrease the likelihood of hospitalization and death by 60%.

“UPMC will soon offer this antibody, as what is called ‘post-exposure prophylaxis,’ in outpatient and inpatient settings for eligible patients,” she said. “This expansion of monoclonal antibody use is an example of how UPMC and the University of Pittsburgh have been at the forefront of developing and implementing transformative therapies to treat and prevent COVID-19.”

Once available, patients may receive monoclonal antibodies if they have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 and are unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated, and who may be at risk for serious illness.

McCreary said UPMC is offering two types of monoclonal antibody treatments — casirivimab and imdevimab and sotrovimab — for patients ages 12 and older. She said more than 3,000 monoclonal antibody treatments have been given to UPMC patients.