Important tool in fighting infected COVID patients now available at Fort Worth hospital
Monoclonal antibody treatments are now available at a facility near Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth.
COVID-19 patients must be referred by a heath care provider and have a scheduled appointment. No walk-ins are available.
The clinic is run by the Texas Department of State Health Services, not Cook Children’s.
The state-funded regional infusion center is for anyone 12 or older. The COVID-19 therapeutic uses the monoclonal antibody treatment Regeneron. There is no cost to the patient or health care provider.
The regional infusion centers have been created to help limit the number of COVID-19 patients who need to be hospitalized.
“We’ve been pleased with the success of monoclonal antibody treatments,” Dr. Nikhil Bhayani, an infectious diseases physician with Texas Health Resources, said in a release. “This is another tool we have to combat COVID in our community, in addition to people getting vaccinated, wearing masks, washing their hands and social distancing.”
The infusion center is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days a week. The center will be able to see 90 patients a day.
Doctors need to call the infusion hotline at 800-742-5990. The required forms for physicians are also available at the North Central Texas Trauma Regional Advisory Council website.
Tarrant County Public Health’s Dr. Catherine Colquitt said vaccinations and social distancing, including mask-wearing remain the most effective way to slow the community spread of the virus.
“The opening of the Infusion Center is a great tool to help reduce the load on the over-burdened hospitals across Tarrant County and DFW,” Tarrant County Public Health’s Dr. Catherine Colquitt said in a release.
According to the official Regeneron website, treatments are not authorized for use in patients who are hospitalized with COVID-19, who require oxygen therapy due to COVID-19, or who require an increase in baseline oxygen flow rate due to COVID-19 in those on chronic oxygen therapy due to an underlying non-COVID-19 related comorbidity.
Patients seeking the infusion treatment must meet at least one of the following criteria:
- Older age (older than 65)
- Obesity or being overweight
- Pregnancy
- Chronic kidney disease, diabetes, or immunosuppressive disease
- Currently receiving immunosuppressive treatment
- Cardiovascular disease or hypertension
- Chronic lung diseases
- Sickle cell disease
- Neurodevelopmental disorders
- Having a medical related technological dependence
- High risk ethnicity groups (Latino or Black)
This story was originally published August 24, 2021 at 12:42 PM.
