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ST. LOUIS — As the U.S. Food and Drug Administration signs off on emergency use authorization for convalescent plasma, more than 70,000 people are using it as a treatment for COVID-19. Thousands more are on the list to receive it.
To understand how the treatment works, we start with a simple definition.
Convalescent refers to anyone recovering from a disease. Plasma is the liquid portion of the blood. When people get sick, they develop antibodies for the infection in their plasma.
In regard to COVID-19, convalescent plasma is found in people who have recovered from the virus. To administer the treatment, health experts start by drawing the donor's blood and pumping it into a machine. The plasma is then separated from the donor's blood. Blood goes back into the donor, while the plasma goes to a hospitalized COVID-19 patient to help them recover.
More than 100,000 people have signed up to receive the treatment. As that number increases, the FDA said it needs more donors – both for plasma to give to patients and the data that comes along with it.
While the procedure is helping people all over the country and is hailed as a “breakthrough” it is not a cure. Experts continue their research because we still need a vaccine for the virus.
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