The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized convalescent plasma therapy for people with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The FDA is allowing its use during the pandemic because there’s no approved treatment for COVID-19.
Convalescent plasma therapy may be given to people who are hospitalized with COVID-19.
Convalescent plasma therapy may help people recover from COVID-19. It may lessen the severity or shorten the length of the disease.
Data from small clinical trials and a national access program suggest that convalescent plasma may lessen the severity or shorten the duration of COVID-19. However, more research is needed to determine if convalescent plasma therapy will be an effective treatment for COVID-19.
The need for more convalescent plasma donations and the constant increase of COVID-19 patients may result in shortages of storage space for such units, since most of the donations and transfusion procedures are carried out within Healthcare facilities. These facilities have limited constraining capabilities for blood collection, donor and donation testing, separation of whole blood into components, and product storage. Strategies to provide COVID-19 convalescent plasma must rely on the collection and testing procedures in use locally and must avoid aggravating blood shortages that may result from disruptions during the pandemic.
Whether you’re looking to store plasma and blood products, bulk raw materials, or even hazardous items, Environmental Specialties‘ cold/freezer rooms offer the uniform temperatures and precise controls needed for extremely delicate storage.
