FDA Approves Use Of Plasma From Recovered Coronavirus Patients To Treat The Sickest Patients

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the first treatment in the U.S. for COVID-19 using blood plasma from recovered patients. This plasma, rich in antibodies developed by the immune system, can potentially help others fight the infection. This century-old method, used in China and now being tested in New York, might be the best hope for critically ill patients until specific treatments or experimental drugs like chloroquine and remdesivir are developed.

What is Convalescent Plasma Therapy?
The therapy involves using plasma from people who have recovered from COVID-19. When someone recovers from an infection, their blood contains antibodies that can help others fight the same infection. These antibodies are found in the plasma, the liquid part of the blood. The FDA has facilitated access to COVID-19 convalescent plasma for patients with serious or life-threatening infections, recognizing it doesn't work for every disease.

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Historical Context and Efficacy
Convalescent plasma therapy dates back to pre-vaccine eras, having been used against flu and measles outbreaks, and more recently, SARS and Ebola. Dr. Arturo Casadevall of Johns Hopkins University noted, "We won’t know until we do it, but the historical evidence is encouraging." This approach, although seen as "back to the Stone Age" by some, has scientific grounding and has shown potential benefits in past pandemics.

Research and Clinical Trials
The FDA is expediting the development and availability of this therapy. Researchers plan to measure whether infusions of antibody-rich plasma from COVID-19 survivors improve the outcomes for newly ill patients, specifically in terms of survival rates and the need for mechanical ventilation. Regular plasma transfusions, while generally safe, can occasionally cause lung damage, a risk that must be managed.

Potential as a Temporary Vaccine
Though not a vaccine, plasma infusions could provide temporary immunity. Unlike vaccines that train the immune system to produce antibodies, plasma infusions offer a short-term boost of someone else's antibodies. This approach might protect high-risk individuals, such as healthcare workers and first responders, and possibly prevent outbreaks in settings like nursing homes.

Dr Zhou Min, a recovered COVID-19 patient who has passed his 14-day quarantine, donates plasma in the city's blood center in Wuhan in central China's Hubei province. Plasma from recovered COVID-19 patients contains antibodies that may help reduce the viral load in patients that are fighting the disease
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Challenges and Future Directions
The process of plasma donation is similar to blood donation, but the focus is on collecting plasma from recovered COVID-19 patients. This plasma is then tested and purified to ensure safety. The challenge lies in building up a sufficient stock of plasma, as it requires repeated donations from volunteers. Researchers are optimistic, with many potential donors eager to help.

Casadevall and his colleagues are also looking at more modern approaches, such as lab-produced antibodies, but using blood from survivors is a more immediate, though labor-intensive, method. Researchers hope to start banking plasma as soon as regulatory approvals are in place.

Conclusion
Convalescent plasma therapy represents a promising, albeit interim, treatment for COVID-19 while more specific therapies and vaccines are developed. The historical use of plasma therapy and the early results from ongoing studies provide hope for this approach. As researchers and healthcare providers work together, the willingness of recovered patients to donate plasma could play a crucial role in combating the pandemic.

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