Williamson County will provide partial funding for a COVID-19 convalescent plasma program with Central Texas-based We Are Blood that will provide the therapy units to patients in Burnet, Hays, Travis and Williamson counties. The Commissioners Court approved funding for the program Nov. 24.

The $351,950 program collects COVID-19 convalescent plasma for distribution to local physicians to administer under the FDA-approved Mayo Clinic’s Expanded Access Protocol. Some 1,600 doses have already been distributed to local patients.

Williamson County will pay $63,351 of the total cost through CARES Act funds. Travis County and a Union Pacific Foundation grant would fund $274,521 and $14,078 of the program, respectively. Travis and Williamson counties are the primary receivers of the treatment and fund a majority of the program.

Therapy units have been shipped to five Williamson County facilities including Baylor Scott & White Medical Centers in Round Rock and Taylor, Cedar Park Regional Medical Center, Round Rock Hospital and St. David’s in Georgetown, according to the program proposal. Some 252 Williamson County patients have received the therapy, and typically two units are ordered per patient.