Mary Garofalo tested positive for COVID-19 around Easter when, a couple of days later, she received a call from a nurse practitioner at her UPMC Hamot primary-care doctor's office.
Garofalo, 69, of Millcreek Township, was told that she would be a good candidate for monoclonal antibody treatment, an infusion that helps COVID-19 patients who are at-risk for complications. Her 74-year-old husband, Joe, also had tested positive for COVID-19 and was offered the treatment.
"I'm diabetic and overweight, so I was a candidate," said Garofalo. "I didn't understand it, so the nurse practitioner explained that it would strengthen us and help us get over COVID more quickly."