There may be promise in plasma therapy

[Cheesy FL-Vol]

www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-usa-plasma-explain/why-u-s-hospitals-see-promise-in-plasma-from-new-coronavirus-patients-idUSKBN21M0E3

(Reuters) - U.S. hospitals desperate to help very sick patients with COVID-19, the highly contagious respiratory disease caused by the new coronavirus, are trying a treatment first used in the 1890s that relies on blood plasma donated by recovered patients.


People who survive an infectious disease like COVID-19 are generally left with blood containing antibodies, or proteins made by the body’s immune system to fight off a virus. The blood component that carries the antibodies can be collected and given to newly infected patients - it is known as “convalescent plasma.”

[pulmonarymd]

Apr 5, 2020 8:12:37 GMT -5 Cheesy FL-Vol said:

www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-usa-plasma-explain/why-u-s-hospitals-see-promise-in-plasma-from-new-coronavirus-patients-idUSKBN21M0E3

(Reuters) - U.S. hospitals desperate to help very sick patients with COVID-19, the highly contagious respiratory disease caused by the new coronavirus, are trying a treatment first used in the 1890s that relies on blood plasma donated by recovered patients.


People who survive an infectious disease like COVID-19 are generally left with blood containing antibodies, or proteins made by the body’s immune system to fight off a virus. The blood component that carries the antibodies can be collected and given to newly infected patients - it is known as “convalescent plasma.”

Problem is making adequate amounts of it. A limited number of patients will benefit. If 100,000 people need to be hospitalized, it’s difficult to imagine having nearly enough to treat everyone

[oped]

Is it possible that we can give it to first line doctors and nurses?  I would be all for that if it turns out to be effective and limited in supply. 

[Gardening Grandma]

Apr 5, 2020 8:54:05 GMT -5 oped said:

Is it possible that we can give it to first line doctors and nurses?  I would be all for that if it turns out to be effective and limited in supply. 

That would be the most sensible thing to do if it does turn out to be effective

[lynnerself]

Right now it's hard to be a donor. You need to be symptom free for 14 days and have a negative test.

www.redcrossblood.org/faq.html#donating-blood-covid-19-convalescent-plasma

But the Red Cross in accepting applications from interested people.

[pulmonarymd]

Apr 5, 2020 9:22:06 GMT -5 Gardening Grandma said:

Apr 5, 2020 8:54:05 GMT -5 oped said:

Is it possible that we can give it to first line doctors and nurses?  I would be all for that if it turns out to be effective and limited in supply. 

That would be the most sensible thing to do if it does turn out to be effective

It’s used to work rest those infected already. Not meant to prevent infection

[Cheesy FL-Vol]

Apr 5, 2020 10:06:24 GMT -5 pulmonarymd said:

Apr 5, 2020 9:22:06 GMT -5 Gardening Grandma said:

That would be the most sensible thing to do if it does turn out to be effective

It’s used to work rest those infected already. Not meant to prevent infection

That is how I interpreted the article. It would be used to help those who are seriously ill to recover. I realize the research is in early stages and other countries are researching the same thing. It was suggested in the article that plasma from one person with the antibodies could treat two or three people.

[pulmonarymd]

Apr 5, 2020 10:23:10 GMT -5 Cheesy FL-Vol said:

Apr 5, 2020 10:06:24 GMT -5 pulmonarymd said:

It’s used to work rest those infected already. Not meant to prevent infection

That is how I interpreted the article. It would be used to help those who are seriously ill to recover. I realize the research is in early stages and other countries are researching the same thing. It was suggested in the article that plasma from one person with the antibodies could treat two or three people.

Sounds about right, problem is this is very labor intensive, and requires varying amounts of time for those who have recovered to donate plasma. Can take a fair amount of time to collect enough antibodies. If this works however, it would suggest that those antibodies would lead to immunity from the virus for those already infected. Answers one burning question

[oped]

Apr 5, 2020 10:06:24 GMT -5 pulmonarymd said:

Apr 5, 2020 9:22:06 GMT -5 Gardening Grandma said:

That would be the most sensible thing to do if it does turn out to be effective

It’s used to work rest those infected already. Not meant to prevent infection

Yes... but that doesn't negate the fact that if it works and is a limited resource I vote for it to be given to doctors and nurses who are ill first and foremost...

I actually read 'newly infected'  not necessarily 'most sick'...  in the article. 

[pulmonarymd]

Apr 5, 2020 10:40:46 GMT -5 oped said:

Apr 5, 2020 10:06:24 GMT -5 pulmonarymd said:

It’s used to work rest those infected already. Not meant to prevent infection

Yes... but that doesn't negate the fact that if it works and is a limited resource I vote for it to be given to doctors and nurses who are ill first and foremost...

I actually read 'newly infected'  not necessarily 'most sick'...  in the article. 

Yes it is not clear when it would be most effective, but it would make most sense to use it early in the illness. Later on, it would hopefully prevent the more serious complications. If used later when people are already severely ill, it may not have as great a benefit. This is why all the fanfare given to these therapies needs to be tamped done. lots of unknowns that need to be sorted through to see what works, how effective they are, and when and to which patient they should be given. Not a quick process.

[djAdvocate]

Apr 5, 2020 8:51:51 GMT -5 pulmonarymd said:

Apr 5, 2020 8:12:37 GMT -5 Cheesy FL-Vol said:

www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-usa-plasma-explain/why-u-s-hospitals-see-promise-in-plasma-from-new-coronavirus-patients-idUSKBN21M0E3

Problem is making adequate amounts of it. A limited number of patients will benefit. If 100,000 people need to be hospitalized, it’s difficult to imagine having nearly enough to treat everyone

this/\

we could have used Chinese plasma if we got on this in Jan.

now?

we have 300k+ diagnosed with the disease and only 10k recovered patients.

it's way too late.