Southeast Texas residents now have another opportunity to receive a potentially life-saving treatment for COVID-19.
A newly-opened regional infusion center, which is open to residents from Hardin, Jasper, Jefferson and Orange counties, will use monoclonal antibody therapy for COVID-positive patients. Located at 5550 Eastex Fwy. in Beaumont, the center is expected to be able to treat up to 150 patients per day — increasing the number of daily infusions available by 500%.
“Monoclonal antibodies have proven extremely effective in treating those who have been diagnosed with COVID-19,” Jefferson County Judge Jeff Branick said at a news conference officially announcing the center’s opening. “This treatment is available for those who are within 10 days of the onset of symptoms.”
After 10 days, a coronavirus patient’s oxygen levels often have dropped too low for the therapy to be effective. The infusion center aims to prevent the virus from progressing that far.
AshBritt IEM Health set up the infusion center, as it has done with many others across the country, said Global Medical Director Dr. Rashid Chotani.
“All the infusion centers that we put together have demonstrated clearly that getting the drug decreases the intensity of the disease,” Chotani said. “Regeneron and monoclonal antibodies were developed last year at the same time as the vaccines were being developed. The FDA, the CDC and the government have said that Regeneron is the best choice of monoclonal antibodies that we have at this time.”
Jefferson County Tax Assessor-Collector and Voter Registrar Allison Getz is just one local resident who the treatment was worked for. She was in Austin on a Monday in early August when she started to have symptoms. She was extremely tired and knew she had a fever, even without a thermometer. By Tuesday, her fever was at 103 degrees Fahrenheit, and she was extremely congested.
“When I woke up Wednesday morning, I was having a lot of trouble breathing. I had the infusion that morning,” she said. “Within 24 hours, I definitely had the heavy weight lifted off my chest and could really see a difference. Within 48 hours, I was much better. The infusion kept me from being hospitalized.”
Other coronavirus patients have not been as fortunate. The state of Texas has been sending additional nurses to hospitals statewide to try to keep up with the rise in hospitalizations. Right now in Texas hospitals, there are 13,163 lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 — 267 of whom are in hospitals across the four-county area eligible for treatment at the Beaumont center.
“We’ve had an extremely difficult time in our hospitals and an overwhelming burden,” Branick said. “This (regional infusion center) is an initiative that is going to prove extremely successful at relieving that burden.”
The facility will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days a week. Individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19 can have their primary care doctor schedule an infusion appointment for them immediately. If a person does not have a primary care doctor, they can call 409-550-2536 and press option 1 to schedule an appointment. Callers are encouraged to keep dialing if confronted with a busy signal.
“Obviously this is something that has impacted all of us personally,” Branick said. “We’ve all had friends over the last few weeks that have passed away as a result of COVID and this is something that we want to get behind in the community.”
rachel.kersey@beaumontenterprise.com
twitter.com/ontheREKord