Additional anti-viral drug to be distributed across Austin area
Vials of the drug Remdesivir lie during a press conference about the start of a study with the drug Remdesivir in particularly severely ill patients at the University Hospital Eppendorf (UKE) in Hamburg, northern Germany on April 8, 2020, amidst the
AUSTIN, Texas - Governor Abbott and Texas Department of State Health Services have announced that additional cases of the anti-viral drug Remdesivir will be distributed across the Austin Area.
Officials say DSHS will be distributing 28 cases of the drug to ten hospitals across the Austin area. This is the sixth round of distributions from the federal government as the state receives 448 cases of the drug. The drugs will treat approximately 1,782 patients.
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Counties included in this distribution are:
- Hays: 2
- Travis: 20
- Williamson: 6
“As Texas faces an increase in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, we remain committed to providing healthcare professionals with the resources they need to respond to this surge and support COVID-19 patients,” said Governor Abbott. “The State of Texas is grateful to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for their continued assistance to equip Texas hospitals with Remdesivir. As we continue to combat the virus, Texas remains committed to keeping our communities healthy and safe.”
The distribution comes as part of the largest round of Remdesivir distributions across Texas. The cases have been provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The latest round of distributions brings the state total to 1,425 cases distributed since May 12.
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"Remdesivir has shown promise in early trials in speeding up the recovery time among hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Using a five-day average of hospitalization data, DSHS used county weighting of the number of COVID positive patients in hospitals to determine the number of Remdesivir cases per county. Children's hospitals are eligible this round due to the powder formulation of the medication," a press release from the governor's office stated.
Officials say that medical staff at each hospital will determine how the drug will be used, however, it must be prescribed in accordance with the Food and Drug Administration’s Emergency Use Authorization. The authorization allows for the treatment of suspected or confirmed COVID-19 in adults and children hospitalized with severe disease, such as those in intensive care.
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"Preliminary results from a clinical trial showed the average recovery time among patients who received Remdesivir was 11 days versus 15 days with a placebo," the press release stated.
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