Listen Live
Donate
 on air
    Schedule

    KCRW

    Read & Explore

    • News
    • Entertainment
    • Food
    • Culture
    • Events

    Listen

    • Live Radio
    • Music
    • Podcasts
    • Full Schedule

    Information

    • About
    • Careers
    • Help / FAQ
    • Newsletters
    • Contact

    Support

    • Become a Member
    • Become a VIP
    • Ways to Give
    • Shop
    • Member Perks

    Become a Member

    Donate to KCRW to support this cultural hub for music discovery, in-depth journalism, community storytelling, and free events. You'll become a KCRW Member and get a year of exclusive benefits.

    DonateGive Monthly

    Copyright 2026 KCRW. All rights reserved.

    Report a Bug|Privacy Policy|Terms of Service|
    Cookie Policy
    |FCC Public Files|

    Back to Press Play with Madeleine Brand

    Press Play with Madeleine Brand

    Plasma shots could protect people from COVID-19. Feds and makers won't develop them

    New research suggests a shot of plasma from people who’ve had COVID-19 may protect people who haven’t had it. But for some reason, federal regulators and drugmakers are sitting on their hands.

    • rss
    • apple-podcasts
    • spotify
    • Share
    By Madeleine Brand • Jul 10, 2020 • 8m Listen

    New research suggests a shot of plasma from people who’ve had COVID-19 may protect people who haven’t had it. But for some reason, federal regulators and drugmakers are sitting on their hands. That’s according to Emily Baumgaertner, an investigative reporter for the LA Times who covers science and medicine.

    “Until the federal government steps up and offers some sort of financial incentive for a shot like this, there’s no reason to expect that a manufacturer would step up and do it themselves,” says Baumgaertner.

    The full episode

    2 of 5
    LA Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas on balancing safety and the economy as COVID surges
    1. 0:00COVID cases, hospitalizations and deaths are rising in LA. What the Board of Supervisors plans to do
    2. 10:04Plasma shots could protect people from COVID-19. Feds and makers won't develop themYou’re reading this
    3. 18:13‘The Old Guard’ has more heart than other superhero-action movies, says critic
    4. 32:32Resurgence of drive-in theaters is one silver lining for film business during pandemic
    5. 40:53Evan Kleiman’s favorite to-go cocktails in LA and OC
    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Madeleine Brand

      Host, 'Press Play'

    • KCRW placeholder

      Sarah Sweeney

      Vice President of Talk Programming, KCRW

    • KCRW placeholder

      Michell Eloy

      Former Producer/Line Editor, Press Play

    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Amy Ta

      Digital News & Culture Editor

    • KCRW placeholder

      Emily Baumgaertner Nunn

      National Health Reporter, New York Times

      NewsCoronavirusHealth & WellnessPolitics

    The full episode

    2 of 5
    LA Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas on balancing safety and the economy as COVID surges
    1. 0:00COVID cases, hospitalizations and deaths are rising in LA. What the Board of Supervisors plans to do
    2. 10:04Plasma shots could protect people from COVID-19. Feds and makers won't develop themYou’re reading this
    3. 18:13‘The Old Guard’ has more heart than other superhero-action movies, says critic
    4. 32:32Resurgence of drive-in theaters is one silver lining for film business during pandemic
    5. 40:53Evan Kleiman’s favorite to-go cocktails in LA and OC
    Back to Press Play with Madeleine Brand