U.S. Rep. Soto has mild COVID-19 case, gets Regeneron treatment

U.S. Rep. Darren Soto has a breakthrough case of COVID-19 with minor symptoms, he said Wednesday, adding he was treated at a Regeneron monoclonal antibody clinic opened by Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday in St. Cloud.

Soto, D-Kissimmee, who was vaccinated along with other Congress members in December, said in an interview he had just mild symptoms and was recovering at home.

“Obviously, [I] was vaccinated as soon as I could [be],” said Soto, 43. “[But] I started feeling some cold symptoms last week and tested positive.

“I’ve been urged to self-isolate till the 10th since the cold symptoms last week, but I’ll be working from home over the next week-and-a-half in an abundance of caution.”

The House is not in session again until Sept. 20.

Soto added he received a monoclonal antibody treatment Tuesday morning that’s meant to ward off any major symptoms.

DeSantis has made the Regeneron treatment his main focus over the past few months of the delta variant surge in Florida. He has set up free clinics to dispense the treatment all across the state and was in St. Cloud on Tuesday to open one of the newest sites.

“The key is everybody still needs to get vaccinated,” Soto said. “That’s the overall protection that’ll lead to, in a few instances, breakthrough cases with minor symptoms as opposed to substantial symptoms and hospitalization and death if you are unvaccinated.

“If you have COVID, monoclonal antibodies are an important treatment, but it’s just not a substitute for the vaccination.”