A Promising Coronavirus Treatment Has a Dark History

Through war and the AIDS crisis, plasma has helped and hurt the people who need it

Photo illustration. Photos: Getty Images (Choja; Steve Gschmeissner; Juan Gaertner)

One of the more promising potential therapies in the war against the coronavirus is the use of plasma from people recovered from the virus. Convalescent plasma — the liquid part of blood — is rich in antibodies. Although the treatment is…