HOUSTON — In March, Houston Methodist became the first hospital in the country to enroll COVID-19 patients in a study to see if convalescent plasma therapy works. Doctors say coronavirus survivors’ blood contains antibodies, which may be able to help those who are critically ill.
The hospital recently released the first peer-reviewed publication on U.S. trial results. It found 76% of patients transfused with convalescent plasma showed improvement.
Twenty-five critically ill patients were enrolled in the trial. Of those patients, 19 improved, and 11 patients were discharged from the hospital.
None reported adverse side effects, so the study concluded convalescent plasma is safe.
The results so far are promising, but researchers say there is more to learn.
Methodist is now considering another trial to see how the timing and number of transfusions impacts a person’s recovery.
Of those, 81% have been discharged from Houston Methodist.
Great news if you watch TV with an antenna
KHOU has just upgraded its technology. If you were unable to receive KHOU with your antenna in the past, try again on channel 11.11. You may have to rescan your channels for it to work – if that’s the case, we’ve got some instructions at KHOU.com/antenna. If you already see KHOU on 11.1, you may now ALSO see it on 11.11 – it’s the exact same programming. We’re really excited to be able to bring our KHOU 11 News, CBS shows and sports, Wheel of Fortune, Ellen and Great Day Houston to more homes around the area. If you’re still having trouble, please contact us here and we’ll try to get you set up.