Convalescent plasma has been in the news. And like many other developments around the pandemic, this form of treatment has become a lightning rod for political controversy.
But no matter how much attention this treatment option receives – whether positive or negative – one fact is undeniable: we could really use more recovered patients who are willing to step up and donate.
Questions about whether convalescent plasma is an effective treatment can only be answered if we have more plasma on hand. And currently, there is a serious shortage for both research and treatment purposes.
The Jury is Still Out on Convalescent Plasma as a Treatment
On the one hand, convalescent plasma is a low-risk treatment with a promising historical precedent. The plasma from recovered patients contains antibodies that can help prevent infections and help with the recovery from patients who have contracted the virus.
A July 22 blog post on KevinMD.com by Dr. Carolyn Barber cited a number of preliminary studies that point towards the potential efficacy of convalescent plasma for COVID-19 patients. A similar approach was also used to “fight H1N1 influenza, SARS, and Ebola outbreaks with some document success.” There were many reasons to be cautiously optimistic.
Fast forward to the end of August, and the question about its efficacy became national news. On August 23, President Donald Trump announced an emergency authorization to treat COVID-19 patients with convalescent plasma. His administration proclaimed it as an important step in “cutting red tape” on the “logjam” at the FDA. The president cited that plasma was “proven to reduce mortality by 35 percent.” However, many in the medical community warned against such a bold claim, citing insufficient data and the lack of a control group.
As a result, plasma has become a political football in a similar vein to hydroxychloroquine, which the President called a ‘game changer’ back in March. And if the months that followed March are any indication, a sharp increase in the need for plasma for clinical trials and for individual treatment are likely to come.
What We Can All Agree On – There’s a Serious Need for More
Not only is demand rising, but supply is sparse. Blood, platelet, and plasma donation programs are currently struggling to meet typical quotas due to a lack of donors. People are less willing to come out to donate, and schools and businesses – prime hosts for donation drives – are still closed in many parts of the country.
Celebrities who have recovered from the virus are spreading the message for recovered patients to donate plasma.
Tom Hanks posted photos of him and his partner, Rita Wilson, donating plasma (they were one of the highest profile victims of the virus back in March).
This summer, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson revealed that he and his family contracted the virus, and he’s recorded a video message to potential plasma donors on The Fight is In Us, a coalition focused on plasma donations and fighting the virus.
The Orthodox Jewish Community and Shincheonji Members are Leading the Way
In addition to individual celebrities, the Red Cross and other medical organizations are also asking for recovered patients to donate. To date, some of the most notable accounts of donations have come from religious organizations.
In the US, one group that has gone above and beyond the port of call are members of the Orthodox and Hasidic communities in New York City. New York was one of the early hotspots for the coronavirus outbreak in the US, and many Orthodox Jews were victims of the spread.
But as the community and region recovered, they made a concerted effort to help fight the pandemic. When they asked doctors what they could do to help, the doctors mentioned the need for more blood from recovered patients. Almost immediately, the Jewish community donated blood plasma by the thousands, accounting for a significant portion of total plasma donated across the country.
Across the Pacific Ocean, another religious organization stepped up to the plate this summer. Over 1,000 members of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus in South Korea donated their blood plasma in August. These members were victims of the superspreader event back in February that took place in the city of Daegu. Their donation prompted the Korean Center for Disease Control and Prevention to publicly express their gratitude for their donation.
In a time of need, religious organizations are leading the way, and they donate with a mission to fight against the virus and do what they can.
As research centers and hospitals continue to face a skyrocketing demand for plasma, these examples of philanthropy can serve as a great catalyst and example for many more individuals to follow their lead.
