Trump, FDA start hyping convalescent plasma treatment for COVID-19
Impeached U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to announce on Sunday the emergency authorization of convalescent plasma for COVID-19 patients.
On Saturday, one day ago, Trump tweeted: "The deep state, or whoever, over at the FDA is making it very difficult for drug companies to get people in order to test the vaccines and therapeutics. Obviously, they are hoping to delay the answer until after November 3rd. Must focus on speed, and saving lives!"
From the Associated Press:
The announcement will come after days of White House officials suggesting there were politically motivated delays by the Food and Drug Administration in approving a vaccine and therapeutics for the disease that has upended Trump's reelection chances.
On the eve of the Republican National Convention, Trump was set to issue the emergency order - it would make it easier for some patients to obtain the treatment - in a news conference Sunday evening, according to White House officials.
The blood plasma, taken from patients who have recovered from the coronavirus and rich in antibodies, may provide benefits to those battling with the disease. But the evidence has been inconclusive as to how it works or how best to administer it.
Many scientists and physicians believe that convalescent plasma might provide some benefit, but it is far from a breakthrough. It is rich in antibodies that could be helpful in fighting the coronavirus, but the evidence so far has not been conclusive about whether it works, when to administer it and what dose is needed.
Read more at the Associated Press: Trump to announce plasma treatment authorized for COVID-19 [By JONATHAN LEMIRE and MIKE STOBBE]
More observations below, from Twitter.
Absurd. *NO* FDA press release has gone out as "an achievement in Administration's" blah blah. This is political hype, not science. I know you're up against a Trump wall, and have to choose your battles @US_FDA - but this is bad.
- Kurt Eichenwald (@kurteichenwald) August 23, 2020
The data on convalescent plasma is weak at best. https://t.co/qC9rhrmvbR
According to two sources in the Monday meeting, Peter Navarro had aggressively confronted FDA officials, saying, "You are all Deep State and you need to get on Trump Time." Navarro declined to comment.
- Jonathan Swan (@jonathanvswan) August 23, 2020
https://t.co/3eop6Q7FUa
Following up on this tweet. Now @politico is reporting that the FDA "will issue an emergency authorization for blood plasma as a coronavirus treatment" despite "concerns from government scientists that evidence for the treatment's effectiveness is thin." https://t.co/Wg4PXQU0Hm https://t.co/dXvaLCdIWV
- Marshall Cohen (@MarshallCohen) August 23, 2020
Trump to announce the FDA is about to issue EUA for convalescent plasma https://t.co/va3pyo6xyj
- Maggie Fox (@maggiemfox) August 23, 2020
FDA issues Emergency Use Authorization for convalescent plasma. Says the existing evidence suggests benefits outweigh risks, but also stresses it is NOT a new standard of care.https://t.co/eBN0eHNzlk
- Dave Levitan (@davelevitan) August 23, 2020
JUST IN: The FDA announced it will grant an emergency use authorization of convalescent plasma as a treatment for the coronavirus, one day after Trump accused the agency of slow-walking the development of vaccines and therapeutics to hurt him politically. https://t.co/87A9C2etq1
- Axios (@axios) August 23, 2020