Hancock’s plea for donors
HEALTH Secretary Matt Hancock yesterday rolled up his sleeves to take part in a clinical trial to help tackle coronavirus.
The study will investigate whether plasma extracted from the blood of recovered Covid-19 patients could help treat others fighting the potentially deadly illness.
Mr Hancock, who beat the virus after testing positive in late March, posted the image on Twitter as a nurse took blood from his arm.
He said in the caption: “The hugely important clinical trial will help our NHS treat coronavirus patients using plasma.
“If you’re asked, please take part. It’s painless.”
The national randomised clinical trial will help to determine if plasma collected from donors who have survived Covid-19, known as “convalescent plasma”, is an effective treatment for patients who become severely unwell with the virus.
Doctors have been using convalescent plasma transfusions to help patients fight diseases as far back as the Spanish Flu of 1918.
Mr Hancock said: “I have every hope this treatment will be a major milestone in our fight against this disease.
“Hundreds of people are participating in national trials already for potential treatments, and the scaling up of convalescent plasma collection means thousands could potentially benefit from it in the future.”
If successful, a national programme will deliver up to 10,000 units of plasma a week to the NHS – enough to treat 5,000 coronavirus patients.