Governor Abbott, TDEM Open COVID-19 Antibody Infusion Center In Tyler
Governor Greg Abbott today announced that the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM), in partnership with local officials, will establish a new COVID-19 therapeutic infusion center in Tyler. The infusion center will begin accepting patients on Tuesday and has been provided with Regeneron's 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 Smith County, Northeast Texas Public Health District, UT Health East Texas, and Christus Trinity Mother Frances Health System.
“The new infusion center in Tyler, which is the second currently operating in East Texas, will help us reduce the burden on hospitals as we continue to mitigate the spread of COVID-19,” said Governor Abbott. “COVID-19 antibody infusion treatment is available for free to all Texans who test positive for the virus and have a doctors referral. Texans can visit meds.tdem.texas.gov to find a therapeutic provider near them.”
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 few weeks. 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 antibody infusion treatment that is 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)
• The Woodlands (DSHS)
• Corpus Christi (DSHS)
• Edinburg (TDEM)
• Fort Worth (DSHS)
• Harlingen (TDEM)
• Houston (DSHS)
• Laredo (DSHS)
• Lubbock (TDEM)
• Nacogdoches (TDEM)
• Odessa (TDEM)
• San Antonio (DSHS)
• Tyler (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.