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It has begun to test whether the antibody-rich plasma from the blood of those who recovered from COVID-19 could be the key to fighting the virus.
Blood is drawn from a volunteer’s arm and then returned to the body once the fluid, known as convalescent plasma, has been removed.
If successful, critically ill patients will receive a transfusion of the fluid to help their bodies fight the virus.
After a virus, a person’s plasma contains antibodies used to fight infections
As a doctor who recently lost a colleague near the coronavirusNeonatologist Matt Nash had no doubts about volunteering.
“Seeing someone you work with is very close and a friend, going through that and finally losing their battle has been a huge boost,” he said.
“When the call came asking me if I wanted to give some plasma, it was an easy option …” yes, anything I can do to help. “
The entire process takes 45 minutes and provides two units of the liquid that can be frozen for future use.
If effective, an expanded national program could provide up to 10,000 units per week, enough for 5,000 patients.
Tom Congdon is afraid of needles, but was determined to help.
“I really don’t like the hospital, but it was fine,” he said.
“Once they did an exam, they did a blood pressure test and everything, they stuck the needle in me, which hurt much less than I thought, and they just went and did it.”
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said thousands of patients could potentially benefit from the treatment in the future.
“The UK has world leading research and life sciences sectors and I am very hopeful that this treatment will be an important milestone in our fight against this disease,” he said.
But while Dr. Bharat Pankhania, a senior clinical professor at the University of Exeter, hopes it works, he has doubts.
“This is a blood-borne product, so we must be very careful not to cause any harm … There are things that can go wrong, such as the introduction of an infection or an allergic reaction,” he said.
“The other thing is that the sooner we can give it to patients, the better, so we have to determine who is going to need it and how we are going to give it to them earlier in their illness.”
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Donors must have felt better for at least 28 days before participating in the trial. They must be between 17 and 66 years old and have not had a heart condition or have been recently pregnant.
Jo Toozs-Hobson’s immediate family contracted the virus, and her medical husband spent five days in hospital. She described participating as a “no-brainer.”
“We have all of these people in intensive care and if the antibodies in the plasma can make a difference, then we should all be doing everything we can and this is something I can do, so I am here,” he said.
Convalescent plasma has already been used to treat infections like SARS.
