On the eve of the Republican National Convention President Donald Trump announced the emergency authorization for the use of convalescent plasma to treat Covid-19, which will make it easier for coronavirus patients to receive the treatment that many in the medical community believe could somewhat help in fighting off a coronavirus infection.
WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 19: U.S. President Donald Trump walks out of the White House before departing ... [+] 
Trump said the treatment will "save countless lives," saying at a rare Sunday news conference, which he held just a day before the 2020 Republican National Convention is set to start, that "this is a powerful therapy."
Though the treatment could have some merit, it isn't entirely clear how best to administer convalescent plasma, and just how effective it might be.
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said data has shown that patients who were under 80 and not on artificial respiration, who received convalescent plasma with high levels of antibodies early on in their disease course and within three days of being diagnosed, had survival rates rise by 35%.
Over 70,000 coronavirus patients have reportedly been treated using convalescent plasma through an FDA program, and former FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb said on CBS's "Face the Nation" that Trump's emergency authorization would represent an "incremental" change in treatment availability.
Convalescent plasma comes from the blood of a coronavirus survivor, which contains antibodies that could help in fighting a Covid-19 infection.
"It's had an incredible rate of success," Trump said. "Today's action will dramatically expand access to this treatment."
Much is unknown about the use of convalescent plasma to treat Covid-19, including when it should be administered and how much to use.
Convalescent plasma has been used to treat other diseases, like ebola. Though it's not clear how effective it is at treating Covid-19, that hasn't stopped the federal government from approving its use on tens of thousands of patients. An existing program had been sponsored by the FDA and run through the Mayo Clinic.
Trump doesn't have a great track record when it comes to endorsing coronavirus treatments, on many occasions throughout the pandemic touting treatments that have not had the full backing of medical evidence, most notably when he personally took a regimen of hydroxychloroquine, an antimalarial drug that has since been proven ineffective at treating Covid-19.
176,645. That's how many Americans have died of coronavirus during this pandemic, as of Sunday afternoon, according to Johns Hopkins University.
The 2020 Republican National Convention starts on Monday, where Trump will look to turn around historically low approval ratings a little over two months away from the presidential election.
Trump to announce emergency authorization of convalescent plasma as 'breakthrough' covid-19 treatment (The Washington Post)
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GOP Convention Details Announced: Trump To Speak All Four Nights, Lineup Showcases Black Speakers And Right-Wing Stars (Forbes)
Trump Disapproval Rating At New High In New Poll As Americans Are Embarrassed By Coronavirus Response (Forbes)
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I'm a New Orleans-based news reporter for Forbes covering the U.S. South and breaking news. Previously, I wrote for The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate covering
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