Intermediate level: Previous experience in COVID-19-Therapy trials with Plasma

A therapy against COVID-19 there is not currently. Scientists in the review of existing drugs for their effectiveness and do research on vaccines. A further possibility is bodies the therapy with anti, derived from the blood plasma of Recovering. Experts are now reporting on the experience to date with these healing try.

The University hospital Regensburg (UKR), launched on 7. April 2020, the first healing attempts in COVID-19-Patients with severe disease. For this purpose, plasma donors had been looking for, which survived their own COVID-19-disease, and a contactor formed at the end of the anti-body. Now the hospital is reported in a communication on the previous experiences in Therapy tests with convalescent plasma.

Still no effective causal therapy

By the novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 triggered the pandemic led in Germany as a result of timely strict Hygiene and isolation measures so far, not to an uncontrolled Overload of the health system.

In some patients the infection with SARS-CoV-2, however, solves a serious life-threatening disease. This affects not only the lung but also other organ systems such as liver, kidneys, and brain.

Meanwhile, evidence that the new Virus can specifically infect also vessels the endothelium of the blood are increasing. Still, it is true that, in spite of intensive research, no recognized effective causal therapy.

Treatment of critically ill patients

At the University hospital Regensburg (UKR), will be treated especially severely ill intensive-requiring patients and patients are usually zuverlegt from other hospitals in the Region.

Because of Asia, it is known that persons with severe progression of the disease have a particularly high mortality rate, has the GRE at an early stage with the possibilities and the production of convalescent plasma.

Preceded by the Association were tents experiences from China and South Korea, according to which the administration of blood plasma genesener COVID-19-may have patients may have a positive effect in severely ill patients.

Also in other German clinics, such as at the University hospital of Erlangen, blood is used plasma of Convalescent therapy of COVID-19.

Still no radical improvement in the course of the disease

On the GRE, the convalescent plasma has been used so far in 26 patients. The data showed that all the treatments were performed exclusively as a so-called “individual therapeutic trial” in the most critically ill with complex diseases.

Previously shown as a first intermediate state, unfortunately, still no radical improvement in the course of the disease. In the case of an individual Treated with a decrease in virus activity to see what could be occurred as a result of the natural healing processes.

To make sound statements about the effectiveness of convalescent plasma requires, therefore, further treatments, as well as longer observation periods.

So far, no relevant side effects were observed

According to the TUR it is assumed that, in principle, it can be used in the administration of convalescent plasma to a causal therapy approach, since the Virus is inactivated by specific antibodies.

Therefore, the Potential of this therapy, which must be examined followed is quite. It is essential that the specialists, in the previous applications no relevant side effects were.

To help as a result of the large readiness in the population and the associated high number of Donors is now a faster gift possible. It is conceivable that administration of convalescent plasma in the earlier Phase of the disease, the body’s own antibodies are formed, braking, an unrestrained spread of the Virus.

This must now be with the help of the controlled studies examined, in order to obtain reliable statements about the effectiveness. (ad)