Researchers in London, Ont., say they’ve been able to treat COVID-19 with a specialized dialysis procedure, marking a global first in the fight against the novel coronavirus.
The team is made up of scientists from the Lawson Health Research Institute who used a modified dialysis device to conduct the treatment.
The device works by reprogramming a patient’s white blood cells to fight hyperinflammation, a symptom that’s been associated with the body’s response to COVID-19.
According to a release from Lawson, the new treatment is based off evidence that suggests the virus can cause a cytokine storm in severely ill patients, which is when the patient’s immune system goes dangerously overboard in responding to it.