Day 1313, Plasma Therapy for Covid 19 

 

The Donald tried to make a splash with plasma therapy.

With Covid convalescent plasma in the recipe,

Trump says survival was improved by thirty five percent;

He’s pushed the FDA to give emergency consent.

 

We’ve used such plasma five months now, and all throughout the land,

Most trials small and inconclusive, clearly must expand.

Conditions vary state to state, both patients, plasma source.

To come to firm conclusions, we need bigger trials, of course.

 

And none, so far, are randomized and no placebos used.

And, in Trump’s introduction, “deep state” villains were accused

Of trying to delay this treatment past November third.

So, once more Donald flipped his careful scientists the bird.

 

A dozen publications have suggested “benefit.”

But outcome varies; age, amount, and timing, part of it.

Age under 80, not too sick, results have been the best.

And, how much antibody’s needed?  There’s much more to test.

 

Next, what about the side effects?  We know they will appear.

For plasma’s a transfusion; side effects may be severe.

The only way to find this out: big trials, well-designed,

Assessing risks and benefits, groups randomly assigned.

 

But, Donald says to go, “warp speed;” who needs a random trial?

We know by now that careful science isn’t Donald’s style.

Besides, there’s an election coming, just ten weeks away.

He needs a treatment he can trumpet, so we’ll shout, “hooray!”

 

And that, of course will slow down any testing with controls.

Which Donald thinks will take too long, competing with his goals.

He thinks that Covid’s made him look bad, so he needs a win.

And Donald needs it quickly; so he’s pushed all our chips in.