Researchers in South Korea have published an academic paper suggesting blood plasma from a recovered coronavirus patient can effectively treat those suffering severe cases of infection.

A team of researchers from Severance Hospital said on Tuesday that two COVID-19 patients diagnosed with severe pneumonia, accompanied by acute respiratory distress syndrome(ARDS), both made a full recovery after receiving the blood plasma treatment.

As there is still no specific treatment or vaccine for COVID-19, injections of blood plasma packed with antibodies from recovered patients have been receiving attention as an alternative way to treat those in serious condition.

The team noted that in both of the cited cases, the patients did not show signs of improvement until they were injected with 250 milliliters of blood plasma, twice daily, while also receiving steroid treatments. Neither patient experienced side effects.

The researchers called for further clinical studies and said the government should set up a control tower to manage blood plasma donations and distribution.

Their paper was published in the Journal of Korean Medical Science.