Belgium needs plasma to continue COVID-19 studies, says the Red Cross

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Belgian clinical trials to investigate blood plasma efficacy for people recovering from COVID-19 are at risk of being suspended due to low plasma supplies, doctors said, prompting calls for more. blood donors come forward.

The Belgian Red Cross is supplying plasma to two hospitals, the University Hospital of Leuven and the CHU of Liège, which are conducting two clinical trials in the country to see how the antibody-containing plasma from COVID-19 survivors can help infected people.

“There are a lot of patients in hospitals with COVID-19 and they need it,” Esther Neijens, a Red Cross doctor, told Reuters.

“We really hope there will be enough plasma donors, who have had COVID at some point, to continue clinical trials and finish them, to have conclusions to know if this plasma is really effective in the context of COVID-19,” he said.

The nation of 11 million people now suffers from the highest rate of coronavirus infections per 100,000 citizens in Europe. It had 1,448 new infections per 100,000 residents in the past week, data from the Sciensano health institution showed Wednesday.

The number of patients in intensive care units (ICUs) doubles every eight days – to 911 as of Tuesday – with 5,554 people in hospitals at risk of being left without beds.

Student Lili Deneve is a survivor willing to donate.

“I am donating my blood for COVID-19 patients,” the 21-year-old, infected with COVID-19 in late August, told Reuters as she gave her plasma for the second time.

“I was infected with COVID-19 because of someone positive in my family, I had symptoms for a week, I was very tired … I lost my taste and smell,” she said.

Doctors say studies are needed as there remains a lack of evidence on how effective plasma can be. Results from an Indian study found that plasma did not help hospitalized patients fight infection and failed to reduce mortality rates or stop progression to severe disease.