Governor Abbott, TDEM Launch COVID-19 Antibody Infusion Center In Victoria
Governor Greg Abbott today announced that the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM), in partnership with local officials, will launch a new COVID-19 therapeutic infusion center in Victoria. The infusion center will begin accepting patients tomorrow and has been provided with 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 Victoria County, the Victoria Office of Emergency Management, Victoria ISD, and the Golden Crescent Regional Advisory Council.
“The State of Texas is expanding access to COVID-19 antibody therapeutics in communities where this treatment is needed most," said Governor Abbott. "This new facility in Victoria will ensure Texans in the Golden Crescent Region of our state who test positive for COVID-19 have access to this free and effective treatment."
Governor Abbott, TDEM, and the Texas Department of State Health Services 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.
These state-sponsored infusion centers are in addition to the infusion treatment centers 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 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)
• Tyler (TDEM)
• The Woodlands (DSHS)
• Victoria (TDEM)
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.