Plasma therapy still ‘experimental’: WHO
Team Udayavani, Aug 24, 2020, 7:28 PM IST
Geneva: The World Health Organisation says using plasma from the recovered to treat COVID-19 is still considered an “experimental” therapy and that the preliminary results showing it may work are still “inconclusive.”
President Donald Trump on Sunday approved an emergency authorisation of convalescent plasma for COVID-19 patients.
WHO’s chief scientist Dr Soumya Swaminathan said convalescent plasma therapy has been used in the last century to treat numerous infectious diseases, with varying levels of success.
Swaminathan says WHO still considers convalescent plasma therapy to be experimental and said it should continue to be evaluated. She added that the treatment is difficult to standardise since people produce different levels of antibodies and the plasma must be collected individually from recovered patients.
Swaminathan says that the studies have been small and provided “low-quality evidence.” She says countries can “do an emergency listing if they feel the benefits outweigh the risks” but that that’s “usually done when you’re waiting for the more definitive evidence.”
Dr Bruce Aylward, a senior adviser to WHO’s director-general, said that convalescent plasma therapy can come with numerous side effects, from a mild fever and chills to more severe lung-related injuries.
Udayavani is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel and stay updated with the latest news.
Top News
Related Articles More
Attention problems could be ‘middleman’ between genetic risk for, experiencing psychosis: Study
Meeting WHO’s sodium recommendations could avert deaths from heart, kidney disease: Study
Meeting WHO’s sodium recommendations could avert deaths from heart, kidney disease: Study
Study finds loss of smell linked with inflammation in 140 conditions, could be early sign of disease
Manipal Centre for Biotherapeutics Research hosts “Cell Therapy Conclave” at Kasturba Medical College, Manipal
MUST WATCH
Latest Additions
Jayant Patil claims BJP used irrigation ‘scam’ to blackmail Ajit Pawar; Fadnavis, NCP chief hit back
Medical College expels 5 MBBS students from hostel for ragging juniors
Insulting women is in DNA of Cong leaders, alleges Jharkhand BJP
Man arrested from Delhi for calling up Pappu Yadav posing as aide of Lawrence Bishnoi
Tejasvi Surya hits out at Kharge, CMs of Cong-ruled states over poll promises
Thanks for visiting Udayavani
You seem to have an Ad Blocker on.
To continue reading, please turn it off or whitelist Udayavani.