JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — News of an emergency order to greenlight a potential treatment for COVID-19 was greeted with everything from cautious optimism to elation heralding a medical breakthrough.
Mayo Clinic researchers have been working around the clock since April studying whether convalescent plasma is safe and effective to fight COVID-19. Monday, they say the answer is yes, and they are going to expand the study.
“It’s very historic,” said Dr. DeLisa Fairweather with the Mayo Clinic. “This is one of the largest studies of its kind.”
In a matter of four months, the study enrolled more than 100,000 patients using convalescent plasma from about 70,000 donors.
Fairweather says 35,000 of those patients are displaying very convincing responses to the treatment.
“If you give plasma earlier, within three days of diagnosis, it reduces mortality at day seven and day 30,” Fairweather said. “Also, if you give plasma that has higher antibody levels in it, you also reduce mortality.”
Fairweather says unlike many control trials, this was a nation-wide effort.
“All states and US territories both in rural areas as well as large cities were able to receive plasma,” Fairweather said.
Not everyone is so convinced yet though.
Several top health officials including White House coronavirus advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Francis Collins, have raised concerns that the data was too weak.
Clinical trials have not proven whether plasma can help patients battle the coronavirus.
An emergency authorization, like the one announced Sunday, doesn’t require the same amount of evidence for FDA approval.
Some of you can help. If you were diagnosed with COVID-19, doctors ask you to donate plasma within two weeks after you recover from the virus.
Fairweather says your donation can be used on about six patients and you can donate about three times, meaning people who have recovered from COVID-19 can save up to 18 lives.