Coronavirus: Area doctor reacts to FDA change in convalescent plasma policy

DAYTON — The Food and Drug Administration has decided to let more doctors use plasma to treat COVID-19 patients.

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Sunday, the agency issued an emergency use authorization to treat hospitalized COVID-19 patients with plasma from recovered patients.

“It’s believed that those antibodies can actually help kick start a response in somebody who is fighting the infection,” said Dr. Roberto Colon, associate chief medical officer from Miami Valley Hospital.

Monday, Jordyn Baker of Dayton went to the Community Blood Center to donate plasma after she recovered from the virus.

“I think about the people in my life who are higher risk or could get sicker,” Baker said. “My plasma being able to help those people and other people’s lives is really important to me.”

However, Dr. Colon said plasma cannot treat all COVID-19 patients.

“This is a treatment that can benefit some, but not everybody,” Colon said.

He explained, the EAU means doctors now have the option to treat COVID-19 patients with plasma outside of a medical study.

“I think there are many institutions that would love to be able to do this more freely,” Colon said.

Thus far, there have not been random trials of how effective the plasma is. However, the FDA said there are more than a dozen studies showing it is “reasonable to believe” the plasma helps lessen the chance many COVID-19 patients will die by 35 percent.

Colon thinks that number is too high. Though, he appreciates the benefits the treatment has shown so far.

“When we have something that has the potential to have a mortality benefit, again with a limited risk, we definitely want to utilize it,” Colon said.

That is exactly what Baker is doing.

“The really cool thing about what we’re living through right now is seeing the scientific process in work and so we’re getting to see folks, scientists figure out what works and then apply it to larger populations,” Baker said.

Recovered COVID-19 patients like Baker can donate every two weeks, four times. After that they have to take 28 days off.

Cox Media Group