Sciences

Argentina has ‘high expectation’ in blood plasma trial for treatment of COVID-19

Buenos Aires, May 14 (EFE).- Argentina has ‘high expectation’ that its ongoing clinical trial, in which people who have recovered from COVID-19 donate their blood plasma for the treatment of other patients, will be successful. "Beyond the fact that there are still no communications to ensure the safety and efficacy of this type of treatment, the preliminary studies are very encouraging," said Arnaldo Medina, secretary of health quality of the Argentine government in a meeting with foreign media on Thursday at the Hospital El Cruce in the Buenos Aires provincial city of Florencio Varela.(Camera: ALBERTO CARATOZZOLO) FOOTAGE SHOWS A PATIENT DONATING HIS BLOOD PLASMA AND A PRESS CONFERENCE AT HOSPITAL EL CRUCE IN BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA. SOUNDBITES: ARNALDO MEDINA, SECRETARY OF HEALTH QUALITY OF THE ARGENTINE GOVERNMENT; DANIEL FONTANA, COORDINATOR OF THE DIRECTORATE OF BLOOD AND TRANSFUNCTIONAL MEDICINE; CAMILA CORBATTA, ARGENTINE BIOCHEMIST AND FORMER COVID-19 PATIENT; OSCAR TORRES, PRESIDENT OF THE ARGENTINE ASSOCIATION OF HEMOTHERAPY, IMMUNOHEMATOLOGY AND CELL THERAPY. TRANSLATIONS:Medina: Beyond the fact that there are still no communications to ensure the safety and efficacy of this type of treatment, the preliminary studies are very encouraging," said Arnaldo Medina, secretary of Health Quality of the Argentine Government (02:12-02:28).Fontana: (the private and public sectors expect) that next July there will be at least partial results that allow us to see the pros and cons that plasma transfusion may have (02:28-02:45).Medina: We are still in the initial stages, and we just began with first patients. We expect (to carry out the trial on) a large number of patients. We are starting the marketing first to reach convalescent patients to donate, (02:45-03:09).Corbatta: For me it is a very good opportunity because it is a little while that we have to be plugged into the machine and we can give a possibility to people who are having a bad time (03:09-03:22).Corbatta: When the symptoms disappeared, they tested me again. They did two consecutive test on me which came out negative so they discharged me (03:22-03:32).Corbatta: If this serves to relieve another, it is worth it for me (03:32-03:36).Torres: In Argentina it has not been seen to have had any adverse effects so far and the data is being gathered to see to what extent it has been effective," said Oscar Torres, president of the Argentine Association of Hemotherapy, Immunohematology and Cell Therapy. (03:36-03:48)