Texas Plans To Swiftly Defeat COVID-19

Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced that the State has prepared allocation plans to ‘swiftly distribute medicines and vaccines to treat COVID-19.’

The US federal government has agreed to buy hundreds of thousands of doses of the two new treatments and will be in charge of allocating supplies to the states, which will in turn determine distribution to local hospitals and healthcare facilities.

Governor Abbott highlights in his press release issued on November 10, 2020, the U.S. FDA authorization of Eli Lilly & Co.’s Bamlanivimab, which has been shown to improve the symptoms of people who contract the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus and prevent hospitalizations related to COVID-19.

Bamlanivimab (LY-CoV555) is an investigational neutralizing IgG1 monoclonal antibody directed against the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2. It is designed to block viral attachment and entry into human cells, thus neutralizing the virus, potentially preventing COVID-19. 

Lilly is expected to distribute approximately 80,000 doses of Bamlanivimab across the USA, including Texas, at no cost to the states.

Previously, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. received FDA authorization of its own COVID-19 antibody medical treatment to treat patients before they become seriously ill and aid in reducing hospitalizations. REGN-COV2  is a combination of two monoclonal antibodies and was designed specifically to block the infectivity of SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.

Furthermore, the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) Vaccine Distribution Plan is working with healthcare providers to enroll in their Immunization Program to be eligible to administer the COVID-19 vaccines once they become available. 

Over 2,500 providers in Texas have already enrolled in the program.

Moreover, the Texas Division of Emergency Management is prepared to assist the swift distribution of COVID-19 vaccines and treatments. 

"Swift distribution of vaccines and medical treatments will begin to heal those suffering from COVID-19, slow the spread of the virus, and aid in reducing hospitalizations of Texans," stated Governor Abbott, in the press release. "As we anticipate the arrival of COVID-19 vaccines and treatments, the State of Texas is prepared to quickly distribute those medicines to Texans who voluntarily choose to use them."

On November 7, 2020, the Good Neighbor Pharmacy, CVS, and Walgreens networks announced their participation in the US government’s COVID-19 vaccine delivery system.

And from a patient care perspective, Texas announced on November 6, 2020, that the U.S. Department of Defense had deployed U.S. Air Force Medical Specialty Teams to assist the state's efforts to combat a recent COVID-19 outbreak in El Paso, Texas.

And from a coronavirus testing capability status, the state of Texas has reported 9 million completed SARS-CoV-2 related tests to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as of November 9, 2020.

To meet the needs of its expansive state, Texas has thousands of testing locations fully operational, which are highlighted on this map.

People can get tested for COVID‑19 at public testing sites and drive‑thru locations in certain parts of Texas.

CoronavirusToday publishes research-based pandemic news.