Trump announces emergency authorization for convalescent plasma in battle against coronavirus

President Trump at a Sunday evening press conference announced an emergency authorization of convalescent plasma amid the ongoing battle against the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The FDA has issued an emergency use authorization ... for a treatment known as convalescent plasma. This is a powerful therapy that transfuses very, very strong antibodies from the blood of recovered patients to help treat patients battling a current infection," Trump said. "It's had an incredible rate of success. Today's action will dramatically expand access to this treatment," the president said.

White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany on Saturday night had tweeted the the president would hold a Sunday event "concerning a major therapeutic breakthrough on the China Virus."

According to Johns Hopkins University there have been more than 5.6 million COVID-19 cases in the U.S. and more than 176,000 deaths.