UCLA Testing Covid Antibodies To Fight Disease Onslaught, As County Health Begs You To Stay Isolated Over Holidays

In Malibu … residents who are coming down with Covid-19 are being asked if they want an emergency treatment to either block the virus from successfully infecting … or fight the disease’s effects.

John Hopkins University has partnered with three med schools in Southern California to study a promising way to either block the virus … or treat it.

Antibody rich plasma is being donated across the country …. by people with Covid.

Doctors are injecting it into people to block the onslaught … or lessen the effects of the disease.

There is a possibility that antibody-laden plasma can treat or even prevent Covid from happening after an exposure.

Doctor Shmuel Shoham is an Infectious Disease Specialist at John Hopkins University in Baltimore … with over 26 years of experience in the medical field.

He says this is not a new idea.

NEWSCART 73078 SHMUEL EXCEEDINGLY SAFE

“For over 100 years people have been using antibodies from people that have recovered from infection as a way of either preventing infection from happening or stopping it in its tracks.

“The product … convalescent plasma … has been used in hospitalized patients …  probably one hundred thousand people in the United States have received it and it was found to be exceedingly safe.”

The doctor says  his research team in West Los Angeles is looking for people who have been exposed to someone with the virus in the last 3 days.

Or … people who have tested positive for Covid within the last 5 days and still have symptoms.

NEWSCART 73077 SHMUEL PROPHYLASIS

“We’re using it for prevention post-exposure prophylaxis.

“Similar as if somebody has a bite from a dog and they’re worried that they might get rabies give them an antibody preparation before they have the infection to prevent it.”

The experimental Covid-blocking antibody rich plasma is being tested at UCLA … UC Irvine and UC San Diego.

Shmuel called a little radio station in Malibu as part of an outreach effort … to geographically broaden the testing of the plasma treatment.

We have a web site and a phone number … we will post it on the KBUU website.

Go to covidplasmatrial.org or call 1-888-506-1199 to enroll.

Shmuel Shoham, M.D. is Associate Professor of Medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

—-

The virus is out of control in California.

County health officials say it’s time to return to the mindset we had earlier in the pandemic  …. where we followed the rules. 

The county is urging us to stay home as much as possible for the next two to three weeks except for accessing essential services. 

And we need to re-think holiday plans …

Cancel any plans for travel outside the region in the coming weeks.

And for those who have plans to celebrate thanksgiving with others who are not in your household  …. outdoors only.

Two other households only. 

Be indoors only with members of an immediate household. 

This is particularly important since people will need to take off their face coverings while eating and drinking.

And now … the Thanksgiving COVID clearance idea???
Bad.

Many people are planning to get COVID tests … check for negative results … and then travel home for family reunions.

That’s absolutely the wrong thing to do, according to Barbara Ferrer, Los Angeles County’s director of public health.

Ferrer said on Monday that she has heard of groups of young adults going to get tested for the coronavirus on a Thursday.

They hope to get the negative results by Saturday morning, and then have a dinner party on Saturday night.

Such tests provide a false sense of security ….  It’s a false narrative,” Ferrer tells the L A Times.

A test result on Saturday … for a swab that was taken on Thursday … says nothing about whether you’re still negative on Saturday.”

That doesn’t work. It’s not a good idea.

It’s not effective and you really are in some ways wasting a valuable resource,” Ferrer said.

Tests can provide misleading results.

And now … the test results confirm that it is younger people driving the surge in increasing cases.

The case rate for people between 18 and  29 years old has more than doubled.

The rate per 100,000 young people … up from 11.5 to 25 cases per 100,000 people.

Same story for people 30 through 49 years old.

——

In Malibu … 133 cases.

In Santa Monica Mountains … 161.

——

The L A Times coronavirus counter clicks off 13,412 new cases yesterday statewide.

Worst day ever.

As feared and expected … Ventura and Santa Barbara counties have moved back into the State of California’s most-restrictive tier of Covid-19 restrictions.

In Thousands Oaks … Camarillo and Ventura … indoor dining at restaurants and indoor gyms must shut down and move to outdoor operations.

Churches and similar religious centers must revert to virtual or outdoor services.

Indoor gyms, dance and yoga studios must now operate outdoors only .… like in L-A County.

Movie theaters can no longer operate indoors.

And weddings and funerals can be outdoors only.

Wedding receptions are currently banned statewide.

Retail stores now have to cut back to 25% capacity … instead of 50% capacity.

The exception is grocery store capacity … it remains the same at 50%.

——