WASHINGTON : The US health watchdog has given emergency authorisation for the use of blood plasma to treat coronavirus patients in the country, saying the benefits of the treatment outweighed any potential risks. "The FDA’s emergency authorisation for convalescent plasma is a milestone achievement in President Trump’s efforts to save lives from COVID-19," said Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar. "Our work on convalescent plasma has delivered broader access to the product than is available in any other country and reached more than 70,000 American patients so far. We are deeply grateful to Americans who have already donated and encourage individuals who have recovered from COVID-19 to consider donating convalescent plasma," Azar said. The agency said it determined that it is reasonable to believe that COVID-19 convalescent plasma may be effective in lessening the severity or shortening the length of COVID-19 illness in some hospitalised patients.

Source: Mint August 24, 2020 10:18 UTC