Texas Border Business
EDINBURG, TX – A second Regional Infusion Center to treat active COVID-19 patients in the Rio Grande Valley is now open in Hidalgo County, state and local officials announced Friday.
In a partnership between the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM); Hidalgo County; and DHR Health, the facility is located at 5521 Doctor’s Drive on the campus of the Edinburg-based hospital. The Center will operate seven days a week from 8 a.m. through 5 p.m., administering treatment to residents of the Rio Grande Valley with a capacity to serve 20 patients at a time.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who received the treatment himself recently after experiencing a breakthrough case of COVID-19, said:
“The State of Texas is proud to partner with local officials and health leaders to launch a second infusion center in the Rio Grande Valley,” said Abbott. “I urge Texans who test positive for COVID-19 to talk to their doctor about receiving this free and effective treatment. Texans can also visit meds.tdem.texas.gov to find a therapeutic provider near them.”
Hidalgo County Judge Richard F. Cortez also was a recipient of this treatment when he contracted COVID-19 last December.
“As someone who has had COVID-19 and received the antibody therapy, I can tell you it is truly a miracle,” said Cortez. “It is quick and in my case it stopped the virus before I developed most symptoms.”
The Regional Infusion Center is the second one that TDEM has opened in the Rio Grande Valley. They first opened on August 14 in Harlingen.
The facility will provide monoclonal antibody therapy free of charge to patients with active COVID-19 who meet certain medical conditions and who get a referral from a primary care physician.
These infusion centers, equipped with Regeneron’s monoclonal antibodies, will treat COVID-19 patients who do not need hospitalization with therapeutic drugs that can prevent their condition from worsening and requiring hospital care. These centers also help increase bed capacity in hospitals so that resources are available for the most ill patients. The state deployed similar measures back in November 2020 to communities across Texas. Patients must meet certain criteria and have a referral from a doctor. Patients receiving the treatment will not be charged.
For questions related to the COVID-19 Regional Infusion Center, the public can call 956-362-6843.
