This archive report was first published on 24 August 2020.
Trump Announces Plasma Treatment Authorized For COVID-19 ¶
On August 23, 2020, President Donald Trump announced emergency authorization for COVID-19 patients to receive convalescent plasma treatment, a move he called a breakthrough.
The announcement came after White House officials complained about delays in approving a vaccine and therapeutics for the disease, which has upended Trump's reelection chances.
Convalescent plasma, taken from patients who have recovered from the coronavirus and rich in antibodies, may provide benefits to those battling the disease. However, the evidence so far has not been conclusive about whether it works, when to administer it, and what dose is needed.
Dr. Denise Hinton, the chief scientist for the FDA, said in a letter describing the emergency authorization that COVID-19 convalescent plasma should not be considered a new standard of care for the treatment of patients with COVID-19. Additional data will be forthcoming from other analyses and ongoing, well-controlled clinical trials in the coming months.
Trump's announcement was met with skepticism by some health experts, who said it was a politically motivated move to boost his reelection chances.
Dr. Joshua Sharfstein, a vice dean at John Hopkins University's school of public health, said the statement and the FDA commissioner's silence while Trump made the announcement was 'disgraceful.'
Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious diseases expert at Vanderbilt University, said there's been little data on how effective convalescent plasma is or whether it must be administered fairly early in an illness to make a significant difference.
