New Plasma Therapy Could Help Save COVID-19 Patients

The therapy involves taking plasma from those who have already successfully fought off the disease and created antibodies.

FARGO, N.D. – US Blood and Plasma Agencies are getting ready to start trials and testing for a potential new therapy that could help severe COVID-19 patients recover, according to Dr. Paul Carson, a professor of practice at NDSU and the Director of Antimicrobial Practice at Sanford.

The therapy involves taking plasma from those who have already successfully fought off the disease and created antibodies.

That plasma is then placed into a patient who is currently fighting the Coronavirus to use those antibodies to help fight off the disease.

The therapy has seen success in South Korea.

“Services are rapidly ramping up to be able to test and offer that. They will identify plasma donors that have antibodies,” said Dr. Carson,  “There has been a great deal of work amongst the healthcare systems and blood donation and plasma donation services to get that ready to go.”

Dr. Carson also says that he expects to see new drug therapies available in the next couple of months that will help with the COVID-19 fight as more and more trials are being conducted.