Medical college Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin revealed on Monday that COVID-19 patients in the Southeastern Wisconsin's health network region are being treated with convalescent plasma treatment in the fight against the pandemic.

On 8 April 2020, the company infused its first COVID-19 patient with plasma donated from individuals who have recovered from the virus. There are currently four COVID-19 patients that have been treated with this convalescent plasma treatment. Approved by the FDA as an Emergency Investigational New Drug (EIND), this treatment allows one plasma donation to treat multiple patients and one patient may require more than one plasma transfusion.

The study will reportedly be conducted at up to 90 hospital networks globally and will aim to recruit as many patients as possible. The Froedtert ECMO team has a high level of experience in this advanced therapy and is the only adult ECMO programme in the state designated as a Center on Path to Excellence in Life Support by the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization.