Plasma Therapy of COVID-19 in Severely Ill Patients

There are few effective therapies for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Exposure to viruses results in an adaptive immune response that commonly include antibodies with neutralization activity. Plasma from subjects who have recovered from viral infections has been used to both prevent or treat disease. Notable examples of the successful use of convalescent plasma (CP) include influenza, measles, Argentine hemorrhagic fever, Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), Ebola and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV). Small clinical trials and observational studies of CP therapy in patients with COVID-19 have suggested a possible clinical benefit.