Convalescent Plasma
These are difficult times. But all of us have the power to make a difference, to potentially help save lives. That power is, literally, in our blood - Sean Hemingway
image by: NHS Blood Donation
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What Is Convalescent Blood Plasma, and Why Do We Care About It?
A medical procedure doctors have used to treat novel diseases for a century has emerged as a focal point in the fight against Covid-19: convalescent plasma.
Conva-what-now…?
Convalescent plasma is the term used for plasma that is removed from the blood of a person who has recovered from a disease, then transfused into a patient still battling it.
Yes, it sounds a little confusing. So allow us to break down everything you need to know about convalescent plasma — and why it matters right now.
OK, first: What, exactly, is plasma?
Let’s start with a little biology lesson. I promise it’ll be fun.
Plasma is the liquid part of your…
Resources
Before Vaccines, Doctors ‘Borrowed’ Antibodies from Recovered Patients to Save Lives
Doctors first tried injecting patients with blood plasma in the early 1900s. The method has been used against diphtheria, the 1918 flu pandemic, measles and Ebola.
Is convalescent plasma safe and effective? We answer the major questions about the Covid-19 treatment
The authorizations mean, effectively, that the agency believes the treatments in question are promising and largely safe, though there’s not yet definitive data supporting their efficacy.
Convalescent Plasma therapy
One trend that seems to be emerging from the data we do have is that, similarly to a lot of antiviral drugs, earlier administration of the treatment is more likely to be of benefit.
Coronavirus: what is plasma therapy?
Many options are being explored to treat COVID-19. These include new drugs specifically designed to target SARS-CoV-2, as well as “repurposed” drugs - that is, existing drugs designed to treat a different disease. By far the oldest treatment being tested, though, is convalescent plasma.
Blood Plasma from Ebola Survivors Fails to Prevent Deaths in Field Study
The therapy was once considered the most promising approach by the WHO.
Convalescent Plasma Therapy, Explained
Convalescent plasma therapy is a passive immunisation process. It is simply the transfusion of plasma containing antibodies from immune survivors of infectious diseases to the affected individuals. Plasma is a light yellowish fluid which makes more than half of the blood’s volume. Passive immunisation in general, could be either natural or acquired.
Convalescent Plasma: Therapeutic Hope or Hopeless Strategy in the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic
Convalescent plasma collected from recovered patients has been a therapeutic modality employed for over a hundred years for various infectious pathogens. Specifically, it has been used in the treatment of many viral infections with varying degrees of clinical efficacy. As we consider the use of convalescent plasma in the battle against this new strain of coronavirus, it is prudent to review what is known from past experiences.
Evaluation of Convalescent Plasma for Ebola Virus Disease in Guinea
The transfusion of up to 500 ml of convalescent plasma with unknown levels of neutralizing antibodies in 84 patients with confirmed EVD was not associated with a significant improvement in survival.
The US Is Stockpiling Ebola Survivors' Plasma to Treat Future Patients
Drawn from survivors, the stuff comes enriched in antibodies that could help to fight off the disease—but it also has the potential to carry other diseases, like malaria, that are common in west Africa where Ebola is raging. The new system will kill off any extra contaminants that may be lurking in this potentially live-saving serum.
What Is Convalescent Plasma Therapy and How Does It Fight COVID-19?
In the past, plasma therapy has been a weapon against the 1918 flu, polio, measles, rabies, hepatitis B and Ebola — with varying levels of success. More recently, it showed some promise in treating other coronaviruses like SARS and MERS, particularly when given to a patient early in their illness.
What the ‘Emergency’ Blood-Plasma Debacle Reveals
If the FDA’s emergency authorizations aren’t used responsibly, they could lose their power.
What Is Convalescent Blood Plasma, and Why Do We Care About It?
“Convalescent plasma has historically been used therapeutically and for prophylaxis” — as prevention — “typically in times when a new disease, virus, bacteria comes on the scene and we don’t have any viral-specific therapies for that new or novel disease,” said Dr. Erin Goodhue, executive medical director of the American Red Cross.
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