The FDA recently authorized convalescent plasma therapy as emergency treatment for COVID-19, but the treatment still leaves many questions that URMC hopes to answer.

URMC is recruiting people for two studies to test the effectiveness of treating the coronavirus with convalescent plasma.

Dr. Martin Zand, the senior associate dean of clinical research at URMC, explained the first study would give convalescent plasma to people who have tested positive for COVID-19 but are not hospitalized.

The second would be for those who have been exposed to the virus but haven't contracted it.

"We think the convalescent plasma treatment might help in these two areas but we don't know for sure and the only way to know is to have a randomized study where some people receive the plasma and some people don't and we follow everyone equally," said Dr. Zand.

Dr. Zand added the studies also hope to pinpoint when would be the most effective time to administer the treatment.

With scenarios such as is it best to treat after exposure but before a positive test or if someone tests positive, can the plasma treatments

prevent hospitalizations and speed up recovery.

"If I came down with COVID, I would want an effective therapy. I also wouldn't want my doctors to spend give time giving my therapy that might have some side effects without knowing it was effective," said Dr. Zand.

URMC is one of 30 institutions that are conducting these studies led nationally by John Hopkins University through the Trial Innovation Network.

More information on how to participate in the study can be found here.