AUSTIN – Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced Saturday that the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) is distributing 40 cases of the antiviral drug remdesivir to ten hospitals across the Rio Grande Valley.

These cases have been provided to DSHS through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This is the sixth round of distribution from the federal government. At 448 cases, this is the largest distribution and is enough to treat approximately 1,792 patients.

“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.”

Remdesivir has shown promise in early trials in speeding up the recovery time among hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

Counties included in this distribution are Cameron County,  which is receiving 16 remdesivir cases and Hidalgo County with 24 remdesivir cases.