Democrats Aren’t Dismissing Convalescent Plasma Due to Trump
The Claim
Democrats’ dislike of U.S. President Donald Trump supersedes their desire to treat coronavirus with donated plasma.
Emerging story
On August 23, 2020, Trump issued an emergency use authorization for convalescent plasma for coronavirus patients. This was supported by the FDA, who cited a study that said that it could reduce mortality rates by 35 percent. Several politicians on the left, including House Speaker Elizabeth Warren, were skeptical. Some Trump supporters and right-wing news outlets took to social media to defend the president, arguing that the left is denying evidence because they don’t like Trump.
Misbar’s Analysis
Plasma treatment involves the use of plasma donated from former coronavirus patients. This liquid contains antibodies, which have a sort of chemical memory to better fight the virus. It is used against other viruses besides COVID-19.
Misbar’s investigation found that after initially officially supporting the treatment, the FDA admitted that it misrepresented the data.
This came after many scientists – including one who conducted the study – said that the FDA was jumping to conclusions and that it was too early to implement any emergency. On August 28, 2020, FDA chief spokeswoman Emily Miller was removed from her role following findings that her claims about convalescent plasma were inaccurate.
Even right-wing news outlets such as Fox News and One America News Network have since reported that the claims about convalescent plasma were overstated.
Since the claims about convalescent plasma turned out to be inaccurate, it cannot be said that Democrats rejected the treatment solely because of their dislike for Trump. Instead, it seems they were skeptical about the treatment’s accuracy from a scientific standpoint.
