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Infections Expert Concerned With FDA Authorization Of Convalescent Plasma To Treat COVID-19

SYRACUSE, NY (WRVO) - One central New York physician said it’s a little bit concerning that the Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency use authorization for treating COVID-19 with convalescent plasma therapy. Upstate University Hospital Infectious Disease Chief Stephen Thomas said there are still many questions regarding the therapy that infuses antibodies from the blood of recovered patients to treat current COVID patients.

"When is the optimal time to treat them?” Thomas said. “And what’s the dose that they should receive? And how many doses should they receive or how many days should they be treated? What are some nuances of patients that could benefit from a standard course of therapy?”

Thomas said safety, however, is not an issue because plasma therapy is used in many areas. Upstate has been part of a study of convalescent plasma therapy. And while Thomas said it has helped in some cases, those anecdotes can’t replace results of a highly controlled study.