Renowned Chinese expert: Plasma therapy has proven effective so far

The plasma therapy is a stable and safe method that has so far been found effective in treating the novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19) patients, especially for those in severe condition, said renowned Chinese respiratory scientist Zhong Nanshan at a press conference on Tuesday. 

Antibodies have been found in the plasma of some recovered COVID-19 patients, meaning they can fight the coronavirus in a better way. Many patients in Wuhan have donated their blood for this treatment.

Answering a question by CGTN Reporter He Weiwei about the effectiveness and risk of the treatment, Zhong said that the plasma therapy was firstly used to treat H5N1 in 2005, and H1N1 in 2009, which showed positive results. Now 10 coronavirus patients in Wuhan have received the treatment and six of them showed symptoms eased. 

Guangdong Province is considering using the same treatment as well, Zhong told reporters. Guangdong now sees the second highest number of confirmed COVID-19 patients as of Tuesday, only next to Hubei Province, the epicenter of the outbreak. 

"The advantage of the therapy is that it doesn't conflict with different blood types," Zhong said, expressing his optimism on the treatment. However, he stressed that it's particularly effective on severely ill patients, but not for critically ill patients.

(CGTN's He Weiwei contributed to the story.)