Plasma from coronavirus survivors found to help severely ill patients

[FfFfFfFF 58,125]

Doctors have found tentative evidence that seriously ill coronavirus patients can benefit from infusions of blood plasma collected from people who have recovered from the disease.

Two teams of medics working at separate hospitals in China gave antibody-rich plasma to 15 severely ill patients and recorded striking improvements in many of them.

In one pilot study, doctors in Wuhan gave “convalescent plasma” to 10 severely ill patients and found that virus levels in their bodies dropped rapidly. Within three days, the doctors saw improvements in the patients’ symptoms, ranging from shortness of breath and chest pains to fever and coughs.

Convalescent plasma treatments date back to before the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic. The therapy relies on the fact that people who have recovered from a viral infection have antibodies in their blood that can rapidly detect and destroy the virus the next time it attacks. Infusing the plasma into patients, and potentially into people at risk of being infected, can boost their immune systems and potentially provide protection.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/07/plasma-from-coronavirus-survivors-found-to-help-severely-ill-patients

[Quartz 12,762]

With all the recovered cases, you would think that they can just get some plasma from one for every ten infected. I´m not a scientist, do any of you know why we don´t do that?

[Guest]

37 minutes ago, Quartz said:

With all the recovered cases, you would think that they can just get some plasma from one for every ten infected. I´m not a scientist, do any of you know why we don´t do that?

Also not a scientist  but it might have to do with spreadable diseases and the refusal of some people to donate blood.

[mister max 18,480]

40 minutes ago, Quartz said:

With all the recovered cases, you would think that they can just get some plasma from one for every ten infected. I´m not a scientist, do any of you know why we don´t do that?

Not everyone can donate but I guess this metho is still a work in progress?

[Mister G 10,512]

54 minutes ago, Quartz said:

With all the recovered cases, you would think that they can just get some plasma from one for every ten infected. I´m not a scientist, do any of you know why we don´t do that?

Depends if people are eligible to donate blood. Some people may not be able to because of other underlying health issues despite blood drawn is screened first. Others probably don’t want to do it (the truly evil approach).