Free COVID-19 Therapeutic Infusion Center Opens In El Paso
AUSTIN (CBSDFW.COM) - Governor Greg Abbott today announced that the Texas Department of State Health Services, in partnership with local officials, will launch a new COVID-19 therapeutic infusion center in El Paso.
"Antibody infusion centers continue to play an important role in limiting COVID-19 hospitalizations and reducing the severity of a COVID-19 diagnosis in a patient," said the governor in a news release. "I thank DSHS for continuing to work alongside local partners in communities across the state to establish these facilities where they are needed most."
The infusion center started accepting patients on Dec. 7 and was provided with Regeneron's monoclonal antibodies to treat outpatient cases of COVID-19 who have a referral from a doctor.
Abbott, the Texas Division of Emergency Management and DSHS have established and expanded antibody infusion centers in communities across the state as needed or requested by local partners. COVID-19 antibody infusion treatment can prevent a patient's condition from worsening and requiring hospital care. These facilities also help increase bed capacity in hospitals so that resources are available for the most ill patients. The State first began deploying similar measures beginning in November 2020 to communities across Texas.
The state-sponsored Infusion Centers are in addition to the antibody infusion treatments that are provided by more than 200 private health providers across the state. Antibody infusion centers are currently operating in the following communities, with more coming online as needed:
• Amarillo (TDEM)
• Austin (DSHS)
• Beaumont (TDEM)
• Burnet (TDEM)
• Edinburg (TDEM)
• Fort Worth (DSHS)
• Houston (DSHS)
• Lubbock (TDEM)
• McKinney (TDEM)
• Nash (TDEM)
• Odessa (TDEM)
• San Antonio (DSHS)
• Seguin (TDEM)
• The Woodlands (DSHS)
• Victoria (TDEM)
The treatment is free and available to all Texans who test positive for COVID-19 and have a doctor's referral. Texans can visit meds.tdem.texas.gov to find a therapeutic provider near them.