The FDA has issued an emergency authorization for convalescent plasma treatment in hospitalized COVID-19 patients, and President Donald Trump is calling on those who have recovered from COVID-19 to donate plasma.
“I once again urge all Americans who have recovered from the virus to go to coronavirus.gov and sign up and donate plasma today, please,” Trump said during a press briefing Sunday evening.
Trump called the FDA’s announcement to issue an Emergency Use Authorization for the treatment “truly historic.”
“It showed tremendous potential,” Trump said, noting that a Mayo Clinic study found the blood plasma treatment reduced COVID-19 mortality by 35%.
Antibodies found in convalescent plasma, the yellow liquid separated from the blood of recovered COVID-19 patients, are harvested and deployed to treat the newly sick.
The White House has provided $270 million to the American Red Cross and other blood centers to collect up to 360,000 units of the plasma, Trump said.
