Inside the plasma therapy doctors are using to treat COVID-19

TL;DR

Researchers at Hackensack University Medical Center are testing convalescent plasma therapy as a potential treatment for COVID-19, with early results showing promise.

Transcript

this past week America passed a grim marker more than 100,000 people have now died of kovat 19 until there are new drugs available to treat it experimental therapies remain the only option one currently being tested at numerous hospitals is actually very old more than 100 years old it's called convalescent plasma therapy it relies on blood plasma f... Read More

Key Insights

• 😒 Convalescent plasma therapy, which has been in use for over a century, is being tested as a potential treatment for COVID-19.
• ❓ Hackensack University Medical Center is focusing on identifying donors with potent antibodies to ensure the most effective results.
• 🐎 Early results from the study show that convalescent plasma therapy may help speed up the recovery process in COVID-19 patients.
• ✋ Plasma donors, known as "super donors," have higher quantities of antibodies, making their plasma more valuable for treatment.
• 🥡 The window between infection and the virus taking over the body is a critical period where the therapy aims to prevent the virus from causing further damage.
• 👨‍🔬 More rigorous trials and further research are needed to validate the effectiveness and long-term impact of plasma therapy.

Questions & Answers

Q: What is convalescent plasma therapy?

Convalescent plasma therapy is a treatment that involves using plasma from recovered COVID-19 patients, which contains virus-killing antibodies, to treat individuals who are currently ill with the virus.

Q: Why did researchers choose to focus on plasma therapy?

Plasma therapy was chosen because it is known to have antiviral properties, and the goal of the study was to identify donors with high-quality antibodies that can neutralize or kill the virus.

Q: How do researchers select the best plasma donors?

Researchers select plasma donors based on their immune response. It appears that around 20% of people produce an extraordinarily good immune response, resulting in a higher quantity of neutralizing antibodies.

Q: How quickly do patients respond to plasma therapy?

Patients typically respond to plasma therapy within a few days, with some experiencing improvements in as little as three to five days after receiving the treatment.

Q: How many patients have responded positively to the plasma therapy study?

Out of the 46 patients who received plasma therapy, 31 have shown signs of faster recovery compared to those who didn't receive the treatment.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Hackensack University Medical Center is conducting a study on convalescent plasma therapy, which uses blood plasma from recovered COVID-19 patients to treat ill patients.

• The study focuses on identifying donors with potent antibodies and assessing the effectiveness of the therapy.

• Early results suggest that convalescent plasma therapy may help speed up recovery in COVID-19 patients.