Governor Abbott, TDEM Launch COVID-19 Antibody Infusion Center In Waco
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 Waco. 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 McLennan County, Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Hillcrest, Waco-McLennan County Public Health District, Texas State Technical College, the Waco-McLennan County Office of Emergency Management, and the City of Waco.
“Thank you to our partners in Waco and McLennan County for working with the State of Texas to launch this infusion center," said Governor Abbott. "This facility will expand access to this free and effective treatment for Central Texans who test positive for COVID-19."
“We are grateful to the State and our community partners for bringing this invaluable weapon in our fight against COVID-19 to our community,” said McLennan County Judge Scott Felton.
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.
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:
• Amarillo (TDEM)
• 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)
• Victoria (TDEM)
• Waco (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.