Orlando area patients are starting to get treated for COVID-19 with the blood of patients who have recovered.
When you get a virus, your body creates antibodies to help fight off that kind of infection if you get it later. The idea behind convalescent plasma is to use someone else’s antibodies to fight COVID-19.
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Convalescent plasma has shown promise as an early treatment for SARS, MERS and EBOLA before a vaccine could be developed.
Thread: (1) I was able to confirm that @orlandohealth has done a convalescent plasma treatment on a #COVID19 patient. This is when plasma from a survivor is transfused so the antibodies can help fight off infection. @AdventHealth @my1blood— The Health Nerd (@AbeAboraya) April 9, 2020
Orlando Health confirmed that a patient started convalescent plasma treatment Wednesday night at Orlando Regional Medical Center, although further details aren’t immediately available.
Separately, AdventHealth is looking to begin the therapy. Dr. Eduardo Oliveira, the executive medical director at AdventHealth Orlando, said there are three or four patients who are candidates in the intensive care unit right now.
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“But we’re now lining up donors, obtaining and collecting blood products and plasma, and just waiting for the right match,” Oliveira said. “We currently have three or four patients in the ICU we’re trying to match their blood type with the plasma being donated.”
AdventHealth has about 50 COVID-19 patients at the moment – and the majority are on ventilators to help them breath.“We’re using it in critically ill patients, but we’re trying to use it earlier in their disease process,” Oliveira said. “So yes, primarily it’s gonna be used on patients who are mechanically ventilated in the ICU.”
Donors have to be recovered from COVID-19 for at least 15 days to give plasma.
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