KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Missouri Gov. Mike Parson announced Tuesday that there will be a 30-day extension of the six state-operated monoclonal antibody treatment sites.
The governor announced the contract with SLSCO, a Galveston, Texas, company, in late August to bring the antibody treatment to the sites across the state for 30 days.
Truman Medical Center is one of thesites, and it began administering treatment on Aug. 25. The original contracted period was set to end Friday, when the 30-day extension will begin instead.
1,732 patients have received monoclonal antibody infusions from these sites, according to a news release from the governor's office.
“Monoclonal antibody treatments have been successful for many COVID-19 patients and have allowed us to lessen the strain on Missouri’s health care systems,” Parson said in the release. “However, this treatment is not a replacement for the vaccine. Encouraging more Missourians to choose vaccination is still the most effective path for us to move past COVID-19.”
These antibody treatmentsare available to Missourians who have tested positive for COVID-19, have mild to moderate symptoms, have had symptoms for 10 days or less and are at high risk of developing more serious symptoms.
Who is eligible?
— Mo Health & Sr Srvcs (@HealthyLivingMo) September 20, 2021
1) Those who tested positive for COVID-19. mAb infusion should be administered within 10 days of symptoms or positive COVID-19 test.
2) Vulnerable individuals 12+ who had a significant exposure to COVID-19, but may not have tested positive yet.
At the state-operated sites, the treatment is paid for by the state and is of no cost to the patient.
