Blood plasma treatment for coronavirus set for Japan trial

Procedure pioneered by 19th century Japanese doctor already approved in US

20200418 blood plasma

Frozen plasma taken from blood donations is stored in Bern, Switzerland. Treatments with plasma have long been shown to help fight some infectious diseases. © Reuters

MASAAKI DEMURA and NORIYUKI TAKADA ,Nikkei staff writer

TOKYO -- Japan will begin a clinical trial of a blood plasma treatment for coronavirus patients as early as this month, joining the U.S., Canada and China in experimenting with the century-old treatment.

The treatment involves infusing into patients blood plasma harvested from those who have recovered from COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus. Such infusions are hoped to contain antibodies that fight against the virus.

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