This week, the first corona patients will receive plasma with antibodies in Erasmus MC and Maasstad Hospital. It is not sure if it works, but better than nothing at all!
The plasma comes from men who have just recovered. Hundreds of former patients have responded to the hospitals’ call to donate their plasma. Normally such a process takes quite a long time. But if there is one proverb that applies to the year 2020, it is: necessity knows no law.
Monkeys seem to make antibodies that kill the virus. The hope now is that this will also work for people. Unfortunately, because such caution is required in these cases, it will take a while before the researchers can determine with any certainty whether the antibodies are working. That is also the reason that the plasma of women was not welcome. There would be a chance of rare but serious side effects.
So now we have to wait, for us and for the researchers. Waiting for information about the blood type of the corona patient and waiting for a control group. After that it is a matter of following the correct procedures when administering plasma, looking closely at what is happening and being very careful when drawing conclusions. Fingers crossed!
