The FDA will grant emergency authorization for plasma treatment on hospitalized Covid-19 patients in the US as it has valid reasons to believe the success rate.
Wait a second though, the country’s top health officials haven’t quite okay’d this treatment plan. Experts(Dr. Fauci & friends) are citing that clinical data is too weak.
Basically, this slightly radical treatment uses blood from Covid-19 patients that have recovered and built antibodies against the virus and infuses it into people with Covid-19 to prevent severe disease.
“Today’s action will dramatically expand access to this treatment,” said the President. “I hear great things about it that’s all I can tell you.” Now, that’s promising.
Clinical trials have not proven whether plasma can help patients battle the coronavirus. An emergency authorization also doesn’t require the same amount of evidence as an official FDA approval.
Trump’s pressure on regulators has drawn criticism from scientists and lawmakers, who have warned that the president is pressuring regulators to deliver a vaccine before the November election.
According to the New York Times, Democrats and some health experts said the president’s criticism of federal regulators undermined public confidence and threatened the credibility of the agency regarding whether drugs and medicines are safe and effective.
There is definitely a political agenda in this rapid authorization. Trump has been under increasing pressure ahead of the November elections, and if the pandemic continues to surge in the US, it is unlikely that he will see a re-election for the 2nd term.
Currently, the spread of Covid-19 is reportedly slowing down in some parts of the US, and death rates have fallen below 1,000. In Texas, the state recorded 3,493 new cases on Sunday, still high but its lowest number in seven weeks. California however, reported 6,777 new virus cases on the same day, its highest number in a week but still less than the seven-day average of 7,822. Overall, it’s tricky to track and compare the daily numbers, even if it decreases, as overall the US is still in bad shape.
