Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

Botany

(70,288 posts)
Sat Mar 28, 2020, 10:05 AM Mar 2020

Some Hope: How blood from coronavirus survivors might save lives

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-00895-8

How blood from coronavirus survivors might save lives

New York City researchers hope antibody-rich plasma can keep people out of intensive care.

Hospitals in New York City are gearing up to use the blood of people who have recovered from COVID-19 as a possible antidote for the disease. Researchers hope that the century-old approach of infusing patients with the antibody-laden blood of those who have survived an infection will help the metropolis — now the US epicentre of the outbreak — to avoid the fate of Italy, where intensive-care units (ICUs) are so crowded that doctors have turned away patients who need ventilators to breathe.

The efforts follow studies in China that attempted the measure with plasma — the fraction of blood that contains antibodies, but not red blood cells — from people who had recovered from COVID-19. But these studies have reported only preliminary results so far. The convalescent-plasma approach has also seen modest success during past severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Ebola outbreaks — but US researchers are hoping to increase the value of the treatment by selecting donor blood that is packed with antibodies and giving it to the patients who are most likely to benefit.

A key advantage to convalescent plasma is that it’s available immediately, whereas drugs and vaccines take months or years to develop. Infusing blood in this way seems to be relatively safe, provided that it is screened for viruses and other infectious agents. Scientists who have led the charge to use plasma want to deploy it now as a stopgap measure, to keep serious infections at bay and hospitals afloat as a tsunami of cases comes crashing their way.

snip

Arturo Casadevall, an immunologist at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, has been fighting to use blood as a COVID-19 treatment since late January, as the disease spread to other countries and no surefire therapy was in sight. Scientists refer to this measure as ‘passive antibody therapy’ because a person receives external antibodies, rather than generating an immune response themselves, as they would following a vaccination.
8 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Some Hope: How blood from coronavirus survivors might save lives (Original Post) Botany Mar 2020 OP
I thought I saw yesterday... Cracklin Charlie Mar 2020 #1
A scientist @ Harvard was kind enough to respond to my email and he said that .... Botany Mar 2020 #3
I knew. Cracklin Charlie Mar 2020 #8
K&R. Two reasons why Chump can't tout this: bullwinkle428 Mar 2020 #2
Somehow he will try to take credit for it or cash in on it. Botany Mar 2020 #4
Wiling too do so... LovingA2andMI Mar 2020 #5
Get in touch with a local medical college, your Dr., or Dept. of Health. Botany Mar 2020 #6
Will do.... LovingA2andMI Mar 2020 #7

Cracklin Charlie

(12,904 posts)
1. I thought I saw yesterday...
Sat Mar 28, 2020, 10:21 AM
Mar 2020

That a few people in the US have already received convalescent plasma. Probably too early for results to be published.

Botany

(70,288 posts)
3. A scientist @ Harvard was kind enough to respond to my email and he said that ....
Sat Mar 28, 2020, 10:29 AM
Mar 2020

... they have isolated monoclonal antibodies produced by C-19 and that they are
in the process of trying to reproduce them in the lab.

From the nature article I took it that the C-19 antibody treatments have to be done
early because even though the viral load drops in the patient in many cases the
damage to the lung tissue is so great that the person doesn't survive.

******

God am I pissed! The vast majority of this shit did not have to happen. Fucking Trump!
Who knew that having a brain dead con man installed as POTUS by Russia could lead
to problems?

bullwinkle428

(20,626 posts)
2. K&R. Two reasons why Chump can't tout this:
Sat Mar 28, 2020, 10:26 AM
Mar 2020

1) He can't grasp the concept

2) He can't make money off of it

Botany

(70,288 posts)
4. Somehow he will try to take credit for it or cash in on it.
Sat Mar 28, 2020, 10:29 AM
Mar 2020

What you don't think that Trump knows about monoclonal antibodies?

"I'm Not Sure Anybody Even Knows What It Is"; "You Can Call It A Germ, You Can Call It A Flu" 3/27 D Trump.

LovingA2andMI

(7,006 posts)
5. Wiling too do so...
Sat Mar 28, 2020, 10:30 AM
Mar 2020

Believe the Spouse and I had the Virus in late February and would totally be willing to sign up. Hope this works on and this strategy is deployed on a massive scale.

Latest Discussions»General Discussion»Some Hope: How blood fro...