- FILE PHOTO
- Blood plasma in an IV bag.
In the early months of the global pandemic, health researchers identified convalescent plasma transfusions as promising potential treatment for COVID-19. The hope among researchers is that they can use the plasma, which contains antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19, to prevent infection in healthy people and boost the immune response in patients with active, mild infections.
“If successful this use of convalescent plasma will become part of the standard of care across the country subject to the availability of plasma," said Martin Zand, URMC's senior associate dean for clinical research. Zand will lead URMC's research, which is part of national trials led by Johns Hopkins University.
According to a Mayo Clinic page on convalescent plasma, some patients don’t respond well to other drugs or treatments. Those same patients often develop severe symptoms, including acute respiratory distress syndrome, which often requires the use of a respirator.
Convalescent plasma therapy has been used since the late 1800’s to treat many infections, according to URMC officials. Previous uncontrolled trials suggested a benefit to using convalescent plasma transfusions to treat diseases caused by other coronavirus strains, including SARS and Middle East respiratory syndrome, or MERS.
Zand said that for patients with SARS, a disease related to COVID-19, convalescent plasma helped shorten illness and helped them recover faster.
The approach does carry some risk, since blood transfusions can cause side effects from fevers or rashes to severe allergic reactions or lung injuries, the medical center cautioned.
URMC will enroll 28 local volunteers for the study. It’s seeking nine volunteers who are healthy but at high risk of infection, such as frontline healthcare workers; and 18 patients with mild COVID-19 infections. Half of the group will receive infusions of convalescent plasma while the rest will receive a placebo infusion.
Anyone interested in volunteering for the trial can call (585) 273-1926 or e-mail [email protected].
Zand said that there is currently a shortage of blood donations, including plasma, which would make it more difficult for people to access this kind of treatment. He encourages anyone who is eligible to donate.
People who have recently recovered from COVID-19 can sign up to donate plasma through the American Red Cross.
Jeremy Moule is CITY's news editor. He can be reached at [email protected].
Noelle E. C. Evans, a reporter for CITY's media partner WXXI News, contributed to this story. She can be reached at [email protected].