Monoclonal antibody therapy, welcome for staving off more critical-care COVID-19 cases, is clearly not a salvation for Hawaii, or anyplace else. That’s because of a shortage of supply of the drugs, in demand in all the many pandemic hot spots around the country.

This simply underscores a crucial fact about the treatment: It is not a substitute for vaccination, which is less costly and averts serious illness in the first place. The antibodies only work once infection happens and the patient has symptoms.

Math favors fans in the stands

Should players’ friends and families be allowed to attend University of Hawaii football games? Let’s do the math: The team asked that 500 people be allowed into Clarence T.C. Ching Field, which seats 9,000. This means you could theoretically put people 18 seats apart. Outdoors. Vaccinated and masked. It’s a better ratio than in a movie theater, which is indoors.

If the fear is opening the door to other gatherings, the answer is: only given a similar ratio of 1 attendee per 18-seat capacity. Problem solved.