A new antibody treatment is now available in Tarrant County for certain people infected with COVID-19.
The treatment is called Bamlanivimab, or BAM for short, and it's a Monoclonal Antibody Treatment.
"It's a lab-made copy of an antibody that binds to the virus in your lungs and eliminates it, neutralizes it," says Mike Sanborn, president of Baylor Scott & White Health.
Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price got the treatment and says it was instrumental in her recovery.
"In 24 hours, it turned me around," says Mayor Price in a video posted to her Facebook page. "It made all the difference in the world."
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The drug has been available for a couple weeks, after it secured an emergency use authorization from the FDA.
"It's being sent to hospitals in limited amounts," says Shannon. "So it's not like we can get tons of it, but we do have a fair amount right now."
There are certain requirements in order to receive the drug.
"Anybody over the age of 65 is eligible to receive this drug," Shannon says. "People with kidney disease are eligible for it, (as are) people with diabetes (and) people that are immuno-compromised."
Also, symptoms can't be too severe.
"It's for non-hospitalized patients," says Shannon. "If you're in the hospital, this isn't going to help you as much because you're too far along for the drug to have much of an impact."
Mayor Price says she got the drug because she met one of the requirements.
"I got it because I'm over 65 and because my condition was going downhill," says Mayor Price, "not because I was mayor."