Blood plasma from recovered COVID-19 patients is still in experimenting stage: WHO

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The World Health Organization warns using plasma recovered from the blood of patients who've recovered from COVID-19 remains an experimental treatment, highlighting the need for better data including that from a large trial underway in Canada. 

Image: Blood Plasma. Image credit: Unsplash

Earlier this week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave emergency approval to expand the use of plasma to help patients hospitalized with COVID-19 after President Donald Trump appeared to apply political pressure on the agency via Twitter.

Supporters of the treatment say plasma from recovered patients can help current COVID-19 patients at the start of their illness because the plasma contains the immune system's protective antibodies that work specifically against this virus. WHO's chief scientist, Soumya Swaminathan, said Monday the data isn't convincing enough to endorse its widespread use.