The Food and Drug Administration has allowed the investigational use of Convalescent Plasma to help fight COVID-19.
Scientists are working everyday to come up with a vaccine for COVID-19. But that could take up to 18 months. Laboratory tests and studies in animals have to show safety and efficacy (a vaccine or a drug produce the intended result). If studies then show good results, the next step is approval from the Food and Drug Administration to move on to Clinical Trials and test in humans.
There are 4 phases of Clinical Trials as described by the The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Phase I: Tests 20-80 healthy people for safety, side effects and dosage.
Phase II: Tests 100-300 people with the disease to obtain preliminary information on the drugs’ effectiveness. Continuing to monitor safety and side effects. This phase can take years.
Phase III: Tests hundred to 3,000 people. If the FDA agrees with the trial results, this is the phase in which a dug will be approved.
Phase IV: The drug is prescribed and its effectiveness and safety are continued to be monitored in a large, diverse population. Information continues to be collected on side effects.
It’s still in the very early stages, for a vaccine against COVID-19, but in the meantime, Chinese scientists have said an “extremely effective” way to treat and prevent the Coronavirus is with the use of antibodies in a article from The Hill.
Antibodies are found in blood, plasma, other tissue and fluids. News and Medical Life Sciences defines antibodies as basically proteins that the immune system gathers to fight off viruses and bacteria.
With this finding, it is possible to help Coronavirus patients receive treatment and have the chance to make a recovery from the virus. This is done with Convalescent serum and right now, The Blood Connection has established its' COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma Collection program. Convalescent plasma by definition may have the antibodies needed to help our neighbors who have the virus, fight the virus.
Who should participate?
- Those who have been recovered from the Coronavirus for at least 28 days. If interested, please call to make an appointment by calling (864) 751-1168.
- The Blood Connection is offering the Program at all blood donation centers in South Carolina and North Carolina.
- Donors must have written positive COVID-19 test result present at time of donation.
- Convalescent donors must have an appointment prior to donation.
