Coronavirus Hartford: Trinity Health Begins Clinical Trial

HARTFORD, CT — Trinity Health of New England is administering donated plasma to the first coronavirus patient within their newly launched clinical trial. The regional health system began collecting the convalescent plasma from donors this week.

The hope is that the plasma can be part of a therapy to treat the condition.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Trinity Health Of New England’s clinical trial this month, which allows the health care organization to conduct a study to test a therapy for COVID-19 that uses plasma from recovering patients, according to a statement from Trinity.

The study will test the effectiveness of the antibodies within the plasma on patients with COVID-19 who are critically ill and on ventilator support. Trinity Health Of New England is one of four healthcare systems, including Johns Hopkins and the Mayo Clinic, that received FDA approval for this clinical trial.

The donors included three local business leaders: Kurt A. Barwis, FACHE, president and CEO, Bristol Health; Dr. G. Duncan Harris, CEO, Capital Community College; and Harold Sparrow, CEO and president, Greater Hartford YMCA.

“The generosity of Mr. Barwis, Dr. Harris, and Mr. Sparrow, as well as all the community members stepping forward to help is moving,” Dr. Reginald Eadie, president and CEO, Trinity Health Of New England, said in a statement. “Donors are a critical component to this clinical trial and to getting one step closer to healing some of the most critically ill COVID-19 patients. While there are currently there are no vaccines and or proven therapies to fight this disease, this study allows us to tap into a treatment method that has the promise to be lifesaving."

The study evaluates the safety and efficacy of using convalescent plasma transfusion to critically ill patients with COVID-19.

One study from China reported in the Journal of American Medicine showed that five critically ill COVID-19 patients on ventilators significantly improved after treatment with convalescent plasma. Eventually three of those patients were discharged home.

Trinity Health Of New England is continuing to accept volunteers who are willing to donate blood plasma. Qualified candidates include individuals who tested positive for COVID-19 and have fully recovered from the disease.

For more information about how to donate:

• Contact the COVID-19 Plasma Research team at (860) 714-7129 or COVID-19PlasmaStudy@trinityhealthofne.org | Hours of operation: Monday - Friday, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.
• Click here to take the COVID-19 Plasma Research Questionnaire

See also: Latest Hartford Coronavirus Updates

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