Effect of Convalescent Plasma Therapy on Viral Shedding and Survival in Patients With Coronavirus Disease 2019
Qing‐Lei Zeng, Zu-Jiang Yu, Jian‐Jun Gou, Guangming Li, Shu-Huan Ma, Guo-Fan Zhang, Jiang-Hai Xu, Wan-Bao Lin, Guang-lin Cui, Min-Min Zhang, Cheng Li, Ze-Shuai Wang, Zhi-Hao Zhang, Zhang-Suo Liu
Abstract
Currently, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has been reported in almost all countries globally. No effective therapy has been documented for COVID-19, and the role of convalescent plasma therapy is unknown. In the current study, 6 patients with COVID-19 and respiratory failure received convalescent plasma a median of 21.5 days after viral shedding was first detected, all tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 RNA within 3 days after infusion, and 5 eventually died. In conclusion, convalescent plasma treatment can end SARS-CoV-2 shedding but cannot reduce the mortality rate in critically ill patients with end-stage COVID-19, and treatment should be initiated earlier.