Convalescent plasma transfusion a promising therapy for coronavirus diseases 2019 (COVID-19): current updates

• Authors: Henu Kumar Verma, Stem Cell Lab Institute of Endocrinology and Oncology; Batoul Farran, Emory University; Lakkakula VKS Bhaskar, Guru Ghasidas Vishwavidyalaya
• Journal Title: Antibody Therapeutics
• Volume: Volume 3, Number 2
• Publisher: Oxford University Press | 2020-04-01, Pages 115-125
• Type of Work: Article | Final Publisher PDF
• Publisher DOI: http://doi.org/10.1093/abt/tbaa010
• Subjects: Health Sciences, Oncology; Biology, Zoology
• Keywords: corona virus; COVID-19; pathogen inactivation; convalescent plasma; serology; Clinical trials

Abstract

While there is no proven treatment available for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), convalescent plasma (CP) may provide therapeutic relief as the number of cases escalate steeply world-wide. At the time of writing this review, vaccines, monoclonal antibodies or drugs are still lacking for the recent large COVID-19 outbreak, which restores the interest in CP as an empirical life-saving treatment. However, formal proof of efficacy is needed. The purpose of this review is to summarize all historical clinical trials on COVID-19 infected patients treated with CP to provide precise evidence for the efficacy and effectiveness of CP therapy in severe COVID-19 patients. Although there are many clinical trials in progress, high-quality clinical evidence is still lacking to analyze the existing problems. Meanwhile, based on the previous successful outcomes, we recommend healthcare systems to use CP therapy cautiously in critically ill COVID-19 patients.