WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Wednesday touted the use of convalescent plasma as a treatment for COVID-19 and suggested a reported decision by regulators to put on hold an emergency authorization for its use could be politically motivated.

“I`ve heard fantastic things about convalescent plasma,” Trump told a briefing.

An emergency approval by the Food and Drug Administration for the use of blood plasma as a coronavirus treatment has been put on hold over concerns the data backing it was too weak, the New York Times reported on Wednesday.

“It could be a political decision,” Trump said.

“You have a lot of people over there that don`t want to rush things because they want to do it after November 3,” he said, referring to the presidential election.

“I`ve heard numbers way over 50% success. And people are dying and we should have it approved if it`s good and I`m hearing it`s good. I heard from people at the FDA that it`s good,” he said.

People who survive an infectious disease such as COVID-19 are left with blood plasma containing antibodies the body`s immune system created to fight off a virus. This can be transfused into newly infected patients to try to aid recovery.