Gov. Greg Abbott has tested positive for COVID-19 and is receiving treatment aimed at blocking or reducing infection.
“I want you to know that I have received the COVID-19 vaccine and that may be one reason why I’m not feeling any symptoms right now,” Abbott announced in a video posted to his Twitter account (@GovAbbott) Aug. 17
Abbott received his first dose of the Pfizer-produced vaccine in a televised event in December of last year. Office of the Governor Communications Director Mark Miner issued the following statement concerning Abbott:
Gov. Greg Abbott at a conference on June 8.
“The governor has been tested daily, and today (Aug. 17) was the first positive test result. . . . Gov. Abbott is receiving Regeneron’s monoclonal antibody treatment. Gov. Abbott is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, in good health and currently experiencing no symptoms. Everyone that the governor has been in close contact with today has been notified.”
This announcement comes on the heels of a sold-out event Abbott attended at the Republican Club at Heritage Ranch in Collin County, which he described as “standing room only” in a related Twitter post. With several hundred guests in attendance, video posted the day prior to his positive result showed Abbott, 63, among a mostly unmasked indoor crowd amid the recent surge of COVID-19 infections in Texas.
The Regeneron treatment, currently in clinical trials in the U.S., including at Baylor Scott & White and Dallas-based UT Southwestern, involves infusing patients with synthetic antibodies to bolster immune response. According to Regeneron.com, the antibody cocktail can be administered as prophylaxis — an action taken to prevent disease or lessen symptom — after exposure to COVID-19. The treatment, however, is not authorized for use in patients already hospitalized due to COVID-19, nor is treatment a substitute for vaccination. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted Emergency Use Authorization for these antibody therapeutics in November, 2020.
On Aug. 13, Abbott issued a statement announcing the launch of nine monoclonal antibody infusion centers in Texas, including one in Dallas-Fort Worth:
“Antibody infusion centers play an integral role in our efforts to combat COVID-19 because they help prevent hospitalizations and ensure that resources are available to treat the most severe cases of this virus.”
Texans interested in receiving treatment, which for many may be received for free, may call the 24-hour State Infusion Hotline at 1-800-742-5990, or use the National Infusion Center Association’s locator tool at www.infusioncenter.org/find-an-infusion-center.com. Patients must satisfy specific criteria and receive a physician’s referral to receive the treatment.
