TX Runs Out Of Monoclonal Antibody Treatment As Omicron Surges

Austin TX

28 December, 2021

11:29 AM

Description

TEXAS — Texas has officially run out of monoclonal antibodies, a key treatment to fight the omicron COVID-19 variant, which now makes up 90 percent of the virus cases statewide. The regional infusion centers in Austin, El Paso, Fort Worth, San Antonio and The Woodlands have exhausted their supply of sotrovimab, the monoclonal antibody effective against the omicron variant, the Texas Department of State Health Services said in a news release Monday. The statewide shortage is a result from the national shortage from the federal government as the highly contagious variant has taken over a majority of COVID-19 cases this holiday season. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the omicron variant made up more than 58 percent of COVID-19 cases nationwide as of Dec. 25. This is more than the delta variant, which only makes up 41.1 percent. Over a seven-day average, there has been an 85.5 percent of high community transmission nationwide, the CDC reports. In Texas, all of its popular metro areas such as Austin, San Antonio, Houston and Dallas have a high transmission rates. The CDC is recommending that everyone in areas with a high transmission rate wear a mask in public and in indoor settings. The Texas DSHS reports that other monoclonal antibodies have not shown to be effective against the omicron variant the way sotrovimab is. The state health agency said it will not be able to offer monoclonal antibody treatment until federal authorities ship additional courses of sotrovimab to Texas in January. People who had appointments scheduled for the week of Dec. 27-30 will be contacted directly and advised. The state's infusion centers will continue to offer those antibodies as prescribed by health care providers for people diagnosed with a non-omicron case of COVID-19. Last week, the Food and Drug Administration gave emergency use authorization for two new oral antiviral drugs, the Pfizer COVID-19 pill and the Merck COVID-19 pill. The state expects that those will be available soon but in a limited supply from the federal government. People with coronavirus infections at high risk of hospitalization and death are asked to contact their health care provider to discuss treatment options. "Everyone should protect themselves from severe COVID-19 by getting vaccinated as soon as possible, getting a booster as soon as they are eligible, and continuing to take precautions to prevent being exposed to the virus that causes COVID-19 and spreading it to others," the Texas DSHS said.