NIH panel says data are insufficient to recommend either for or against the use of convalescent plasma
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 2, 2020 (HealthDay News) — There is no evidence to support the use of convalescent plasma to treat COVID-19 patients, and doctors should not consider it a standard of care until more research is completed, a U.S. National Institutes of Health expert panel said Tuesday.
“There are insufficient data to recommend either for or against the use of convalescent plasma for the treatment of COVID-19,” according to a statement posted on the NIH website by the panel of more than three dozen experts, CNN reported. “Convalescent plasma should not be considered standard of care for the treatment of patients with COVID-19,” said the committee, which evaluates treatments for the new coronavirus.
Convalescent plasma is antibody-laden serum from the blood of people who have recovered from an infection. The theory is that giving this plasma to new COVID-19 patients will boost their immune response, CNN reported. Last week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted emergency use authorization for the use of convalescent plasma for the treatment of COVID-19.
“Prospective, well-controlled, adequately powered randomized trials are needed to determine whether convalescent plasma is effective and safe for the treatment of COVID-19,” the expert panel stated. “Members of the public and health care providers are encouraged to participate in these prospective clinical trials.”
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