NACOGDOCHES, Texas — With East Texas hospital beds filling up with COVID-19 patients, the demand for monoclonal infusion treatment is on the rise.
"For many weeks now, we’ve been working with our hospital partners on their increasing number of COVID patients," Keith Kiplinger, the Nacogdoches Fire Chief, said. "Each of our local hospitals has been giving monoclonal antibodies infusions for weeks now ... but because of staffing and space limitations they were unable to keep up with the demand."
According to Kiplinger, Nacogdoches' two hospitals, the county, the city, and Stephen F. Austin State University have been working together for an appropriate COVID-19 response.
Three weeks ago, the coalition also began working with the Texas Division of Emergency Management to establish a monoclonal antibody infusion center for the region.
"The county stepped up and found a facility that was suitable, leased it.," Kiplinger said. "The city paid to have the building repaired and thoroughly cleaned. Then the state of Texas hired a contractor who came in with the staff they need to run that infusion center. So the state and local governments came together to put this together."
The clinic had a soft opening on Wednesday, August 25, with backlogged orders from physicians. The center treated 14 people, and they plan on more than doubling that in the coming days. They plan to be able to treat over 100 people a day, seven days a week starting on Monday, August 30.
"This is an asset for our entire region," Kiplinger said. "This is really going to be a regional center where people across East Texas will have access to. This is a no-cost treatment."
To get a monoclonal infusion, patients will have to meet the qualifying criteria established by the FDA. Patients will have to have a positive COVID-19 test as well as have a prescription from their doctor.
The center will soon be releasing information on how to get treatment for those who don't have a regular healthcare provider.
"Hopefully after the treatment within 24 to 48 hours they will be feeling dramatically better and they won’t have to go to the hospital and certainly not the ICU," Kiplinger said.
While the Nacogdoches center is the first state facility in East Texas, Palestine has also opened an infusion center staffed by volunteers and the state is hoping to open more in the coming weeks.