Author: Jessica Gregory

The United States FDA issued an emergency use authorization for investigational convalescent plasma, announced by President Trump Sunday as a treatment for hospitalized COVID-19 patients. 

Drawn from recovered COVID-19 individual's blood, convalescent plasma contains antibodies that fight off the virus. So far 60,000 coronavirus patients have been treated with it, reports Channel 3000. 

Previous studies led the FDA to state in their decision memorandum that COVID-19 convalescent plasma poses a treatment unparalleled to other alternatives at this time. 

Last week, the National Institutes of Health cautioned the FDA, advising to postpone the emergency use authorization due to weak emerging clinical trial data. Randomized clinical trials on the effectiveness of convalescent plasma as treatment of the virus are ongoing.

UW Health says that individuals seeking to donate their plasma must be symptom and virus free for a minimum of 14 days. Since April, UW Health has been working with 40 other institutions nationally studying convalescent plasma treatment for COVID-19.