Antibodies from the plasma of recovered coronavirus patients have been administered to 33 Israeli coronavirus patients, Times of Israel (TOA) reported.

Eilat Shinar, the head of MDA’s blood services, told the TOA that between 30 percent and 40% of patients who received the antibodies have shown improvement, especially moderate patients. Patients in more serious conditions have shown improvement in specific areas such as blood pressure, respiratory function, and kidney function.

However, Shinar emphasized that no firm conclusions about the efficacy of the antibodies can be drawn yet since the numbers are so small and there is no control group. But she added that doctors are encouraged by the fact that none of the patients deteriorated after receiving the antibodies. “Nobody has deteriorated after getting plasma, which is important,” she said.

Shinar explained how the process works: “It’s known that if you’re exposed to any virus you produce antibodies. What we do is connect people to a machine that is similar to a dialysis machine, and which separates the plasma from the rest of the blood. In plasma, you have antibodies that your blood produces.”

The United States, China and the United Kingdom have also experimented with administering antibodies to coronavirus patients from recovered patients.

Below, Dr. Ofer Rock, a specialist in orthopedic surgery, who recovered from the coronavirus about two weeks ago, donates his plasma through the MDA.

ד"ר עופר רק, מומחה בכירורגיה אורטופדית, החלים מנגיף הקורונה לפני כשבועיים, אחרי שנדבק במהלך חופשה באיטליה. כשבשירותי הדם של מדא פנו אליו כדי שיתרום פלסמה (מרכיב הדם שבו נמצאים הנוגדנים לנגיף), על מנת לסייע לרפא חולי קורונה במצב בינוני וקשה, ד"ר רק נענה בשמחה והגיע לתרום היום. pic.twitter.com/HdoT8je3sp

— מגן דוד אדום (@mda_israel) April 5, 2020

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)