Governor Abbott, TDEM Announce Expansion of COVID-19 Antibody Infusion Center In Seguin
Governor Greg Abbott today announced that the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM), in partnership with local officials, will expand operations at an active COVID-19 therapeutic infusion center in Seguin. The infusion center, which opened on a small scale in December 2020 and transitioned to a larger operation, will further grow operations starting tomorrow. The expansion is expected to double the number of daily infusions from 25-30 to approximately 50.
The infusion center has been provided with Regeneron monoclonal antibodies to treat outpatient cases of COVID-19 who have a referral from a doctor. This treatment is available at no cost to the patient. Local partners include Guadalupe Regional Medical Center, Southwest Texas Regional Advisory Council, the City of Seguin and Guadalupe County.
“The expansion of Seguin's infusion center helps ensure more Texans can access this effective treatment in Central Texas," said Governor Abbott. "We will continue to expand access to COVID-19 antibody therapeutic infusion centers in our communities, and I encourage Texans who test positive for COVID-19 to continue utilizing this treatment.”
Governor Abbott, TDEM, and the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) have established and expanded antibody infusion centers in communities across the state over the past several months. 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 deployed similar measures beginning in November 2020 to communities across Texas.
Antibody infusion centers are currently operating in the following communities, with more coming online in the coming days:
• Austin (DSHS)
• Beaumont (TDEM)
• Corpus Christi (DSHS)
• Edinburg (TDEM)
• Fort Worth (DSHS)
• Harlingen (TDEM)
• Houston (DSHS)
• Laredo (DSHS)
• Livingston (TDEM)
• Lubbock (TDEM)
• McKinney (TDEM)
• Nacogdoches (TDEM)
• Odessa (TDEM)
• San Antonio (DSHS)
• Seguin (TDEM)
• Tyler (TDEM)
• The Woodlands (DSHS)
These state-supported infusion centers are in addition to the antibody infusion treatment that is provided by more than 200 private health providers across the state. The treatment is free and available to 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.