Abstract
The ongoing pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has triggered a global
health crisis probably due to a lack of a reliable cure till date. Several clinical
trials are ongoing, but initial results have not been overly promising. Convalescent
plasma (CP), which refers to plasma collected from individuals recovered from an illness
and developed antibodies against the pathogen, is also being proposed as a therapeutic
option for COVID-19 treatment in severe cases to achieve short-term immunity against
the virus. Use of CP is not new, and it has been used in various outbreaks over the
past century, ranging from the Spanish influenza outbreak in 1918 to the recent Middle
East respiratory syndrome (MERS). However, data available on its use in COVID-19 patients
is limited. Use of CP so far is restricted to a “rescue therapy” and needs further
trials to assess its possible use in other situations (prevention, postexposure prophylaxis)
and patient populations (considering age and comorbid illnesses). In this review,
we will try to summarize the current status of use of CP for COVID-19 and ongoing
trials in India and elsewhere and will discuss the possible avenues for its use in
future.
Keywords
convalescent plasma - coronavirus - COVID-19 - immunotherapy - SARS-CoV-2