This story was originally published by SA Current and can be found here. 

A San Antonio allergy center is one of six U.S. research clinics offering free trial medication that may mitigate the lethal impacts of COVID-19.

South Texas Allergy and Asthma Medical Professionals (STAAMP) is offering offering brand name anticoagulant Xarelto for free to patients who test positive for coronavirus and have an underlying risk factor, KSAT reports.

The medication, provided through the Bill and Melinda Gates Research Institute, could be useful in stopping deadly blood clots, according to STAAMP President and CEO Dr. Erika Gonzalez.

“We know from the beginning that [COVID-19] is an inflammatory disease,” Gonzalez said in an interview with the TV station. “One of the things that it does in the process is increase the risk of clotting.”

Fighting the deadly affects of COVID-19 moved beyond a professional pursuit after Gonzalez’s mother died from the coronavirus at age 69, seemingly healthy and with no underlying health conditions, KSAT reports.

“Especially seeing how it affected my family and how quickly my mom got sick and unfortunately passed away from that, I always feel like it’s better to err on the side of being conservative,” she said.

By treating people early with Xarelto, Gonzalez told the station she hopes they can avoid hospitalization.



Patients who meet the criteria can call STAAMP at (210) 980-7711 to participate. Those who qualify will receive a telemedicine exam. The clinic will send the medication and trial materials to the patient’s home.