Johns Hopkins Receives $35M In Funding For COVID-19 Blood Plasma Trials

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Johns Hopkins researchers have received over $30 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Defense for two nationwide clinical trials to test the effectiveness of a convalescent blood plasma outpatient treatment.

The treatment is a transfusion of a blood product from COVID-19 survivors that contains antibodies that may help the patient's immune system fight the virus, researchers say.

CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE:

Researchers say this will help determine whether convalescent blood plasma therapy can effectively be used to treat people in the early stage of COVID-19 illness or prevent the infection in those at high risk of exposure to the virus at their home or jobs.

Currently, there are no FDA-approved vaccines to prevent infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19 disease, nor approved treatments for the illness in its earliest stage. There are also no outpatient therapies to prevent hospitalization or death.

For the latest information on coronavirus go to the Maryland Health Department's website or call 211. You can find all of WJZ's coverage on coronavirus in Maryland here.

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