The emergency authorization to use convalescent plasma, donated by survivors of the coronavirus, as a treatment for those suffering from COVID-19 has been put on hold by federal officials who say more data is needed on its effectiveness, the New York Times reports.
Medical researchers have posited that infusions of plasma–the material in blood that is left over after red and white blood cells have been separated–from people who have recovered from coronavirus helps to boost the production of antibodies and T-cells in people fighting the infection.
H. Clifford Lane, the clinical director at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, announced the delay in issuing the emergency authorization, citing weak data from clinical trials that are ongoing. This delay does not, however, mean that an emergency authorization will not be issued in the future.