General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsResults of using antibody plasma on 5 critically ill COVID-19 patients
Some New York hospitals are entering a trial of using COVID-19 antibodies as a treatment for COVID-19. China just published results from a very small trial (5 patients) who were not responding to other treatments. Looks promising. Lets hope!
https://arstechnica.com/science/2020/03/hospitals-in-nyc-will-start-testing-therapy-using-plasma-of-those-infected/
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2763983
EDIT: Below is a fascinating article that describes the different targets of attack for halting coronavirus inside the body. It explains why certain therapies appear to show some promise.
https://arstechnica.com/science/2020/03/covid-19-the-biology-of-an-effective-therapy/
SheltieLover
(57,073 posts)🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞
uponit7771
(90,225 posts)Hoyt
(54,770 posts)Takket
(21,424 posts)for your blood
Laelth
(32,017 posts)-Laelth
GeorgeGist
(25,294 posts)We still don't know whether antibodies are effective against an infection in progress; the therapy may do nothing, or only slightly slow the progression. But there's a reasonable chance it will help, and this trial will be a good opportunity to understand if it does.
LovingA2andMI
(7,006 posts)Were CRITICAL ILL with COVID-19. Read the JAMA link. All of it and the results tell the story.
This is NOT a CURE for COVID-19. However, it could be a TREATMENT for the disease until a Vaccine is developed.
crimycarny
(1,351 posts)If it's me or someone I love who is critically ill and no other treatment is working (as was the case with the people in this study), then I'm not going to poo poo this and ask "well, can you show me the clinical trial data first?".
Igel
(35,194 posts)No control, no way of telling if there was any effect at all.
"A small-number study of COVID-19 patients (age 30-70; 3 men) was conducted. Further data on each is in Table 1. As one researcher cast bones on the ground in front of the patients, another howled at the Moon while swinging a sterilized, plastic-wrapped chicken over her head. Three days later, 3 of the patients showed significant improvement on a range of scores (Table 2), two were unchanged. While in need of a clinical trial, this method of treatment has been shown to have promise."
If 1 in 10 die, 5 out of 5 surviving is still easily random. Sure, we got no treatment, clinical-trial it. But as grounds for hope? At least the swinging chicken might be found amusing. Thing is, humans hate random. If their "trial" had included two or just one, people would rush to it and say, "Great!" They obviously were given mercy passes in 9th grade science, that's all I can say.
LovingA2andMI
(7,006 posts)Deploy the methodology in the JAMA study on 200 Critically Ill Patients in ICU's across the country with COVID-19. Increase the Sample Size! The results can be determined within 30 days or less.
This is a PEER-REVIEWED JAMA study and unless you are a microbiologist, to poo-poo on a non-scientific forum a Peer-Reviewed Study while Americans are dying, is quite sad. Beyond so.
crimycarny
(1,351 posts)These were all people who weren't responding to any other treatment and who were in critical condition. And using plasma antibodies has worked with other viruses so why the hell not try it, especially if nothing else is working?
If, for one, am grateful that some New York hospitals are going to try this against some of their sickest patients. There is a lot of proven science against other viruses so it's not like a "howling at the moon".
LovingA2andMI
(7,006 posts)Is Fundamental. Maybe you should try it. Reading, that is.
crimycarny
(1,351 posts)What in the world are you talking about? I was responding to Igel that saying there isnt enough evidence in the China study isnt a reason for New York hospitals to run a clinical trial of this.
Why the nasty snark? At a time like this lets at least behave with some common courtesy towards each other.
LovingA2andMI
(7,006 posts)Two Hours on the phone a week prior.
Both Biology geeks - we asked and debated why are the antibodies to COVID-19 in the plasma of those who recovered - not being used to test if the body production of health cell nuclei can be increased overtime to decrease the diseased COVID-19 cell nuclei attacking the organs? The LUNGS are a ORGAN of the BODY!!!
To do this effectively, wide spread testing would be required and why this methodology is not being widely deployed --- WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TESTS.
Meanwhile, human lives hang in the balance, as a result.