Infusions of antibody-laden blood have been used with reported success in prior outbreaks, including the SARS epidemic and the 1918 flu pandemic
Infusions of antibody-laden blood have been used with reported success in prior outbreaks, including the SARS epidemic and the 1918 flu pandemic
With a vaccine for COVID-19 still a long way from being realized, Johns Hopkins immunologist Arturo Casadevall is working to revive a century-old blood-derived treatment for use in the United States in hopes of slowing the spread of the disease.
With the right pieces in place, the treatment could be set up at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore within a matter of weeks, Casadevall says.
The technique uses antibodies from the blood plasma or serum of people who have recovered from COVID-19 infection to boost the immunity of newly infected patients and those at risk of contracting the disease. These antibodies contained in the blood’s serum have the ability to bind to and neutralize SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Casadevall—a Bloomberg Distinguished Professor of molecular microbiology and immunology and infectious diseases at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and School of Medicine—published a paper on the proposal today in The Journal of Clinical Investigation.
“Deployment of this option requires no research or development,” he says. “It could be deployed within a couple of weeks since it relies on standard blood-banking practices.”
“DEPLOYMENT OF THIS OPTION REQUIRES NO RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT. IT COULD BE DEPLOYED WITHIN A COUPLE OF WEEKS SINCE IT RELIES ON STANDARD BLOOD-BANKING PRACTICES.”
Arturo Casadevall
The medical concept—known as “convalescent plasma” or “convalescent sera”—dates back to the early 20th century, and was used successfully in the past to counter epidemics including mumps and the measles. In a recent Wall Street Journal op-ed, Casadevall points to a notable case preventing a measles outbreak at a U.S. prep school in 1934.
Experts say a challenge of the technique is that precise timing is important in order to maximize the boost to a patient’s immunity. The treatment is not envisioned as a panacea to treating coronavirus, but a temporary measure that could help until stronger options such as vaccines are available.
“It’s all doable—but to get it done it requires effort organization, resources… and people who have recovered from the disease who can donate the blood,” Casadevall says. He adds that many people have stepped up to the plate at Hopkins and are already working to put this system in place.
Casadevall says he believes the solution “could do a lot locally” in the Baltimore region. He also noted that Johns Hopkins could become the Investigational New Drug (IND) center in the U.S. for this treatment, helping to administer it across states.
Learning more about how to use the sera most effectively will require further clinical studies. “We will learn new science from this calamity,” Casadevall says.
The Latest Updates from Bing News & Google News
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Covid-19 treatment
- COVID relief money headed to Manhattan, Three Forks for water treatment and well projects
A combined $1.25 million in COVID-19 relief money is on its way for a pair of water and sewer projects in Gallatin County.
- U.S. Says Use Of Pfizer's COVID-19 Antiviral Up 315%
Use of Pfizer Inc's COVID-19 oral antiviral treatment Paxlovid has jumped 315% over the past four weeks, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said on Tuesday, as health officials try to ...
- 2 new COVID-19 deaths reported in New Hampshire as case numbers rise
RIGHT NOW, NEW HAMPSHIRE H ABOUT 5000 CONFIRMED CASES OF COVID-19. THE STATE IS AVERAGING 613EW CASES EACH DAY. THERE ARE TWO ADDITIONAL D New COVID-19 data pulled Tuesday morning reveals increasing ...
- COVID-19 in Wisconsin: Death and hospitalization rates go down
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) reported fewer than 2,000 new cases of COVID-19 Tuesday. In the past 24 hours, 1,821 newly confirmed cases were reported to the state. The 1,821 cases ...
- FDA rejects antidepressant as COVID-19 treatment: 3 notes
The FDA has declined to authorize the common antidepressant fluvoxamine as a COVID-19 treatment. Three things to know: 1. Fluvoxamine belongs to a class of antidepressants known a ...
Go deeper with Google Headlines on:
Covid-19 treatment
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Covid-19
- As COVID-19 cases again increase in region, Carroll health official encourages mask-wearing in crowded indoor spaces
COVID-19 cases have been steadily rising in the county since the week of March 27, when 46 cases were reported. Last week, Carroll had 290 positive COVID-19 cases, a substantial increase from the ...
- Evanston reaches ‘high’ COVID-19 transmission level, the high school reinstates mask-wearing policy
Evanston Health and Human Services Department has upgraded the COVID-19 community risk level to high resulting in Evanston Township High School reinstating their masking policy.
- Naperville teacher says state wrong not to include day care children in COVID-19 paycheck protections
A bill signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker guarantees fully vaccinated teachers and school staff pandemic-related paid leave if they missed school because they or their children were exposed to or contracted ...
- COVID-19 is growing in Central Florida; Orange positivity rate hits 18.2%
Wastewater suggests COVID-19 is rising in Orange County and Altamonte Springs, though hospitalizations stay low for now.
- covid-19 pandemic
A rise in new COVID-19 cases among children was reported overnight by health leaders, but there may be extra protection coming for those children in the form of booster doses of vaccines. A person who ...
