An old therapy, convalescent plasma, for coronavirus disease-19: Do we have all the answer?

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus (CoV) disease (COVID-19) has become a global health pandemic by early 2020; it has pushed the health-care system to its limit. From the initial estimates, 15% of COVID-19 patients caused by severe acute respiratory CoV 2 syndrome present with severe symptoms and requires hospitalization or even intensive care. There is no specific treatment against COVID-19, particularly for those with severe symptoms. Desperation caused by COVID-19 has driven clinicians to try an alternative therapies with little or even no-evidence previously. Convalescent plasma therapy (CPT) has emerged as a promising COVID-19 therapy. AIM: We aimed to review current state of convalescent plasma therapy. METHODS: We summarize the historical CPT, COVID-19 pathology and evaluate potential of CPT for COVID-19; raising the question regarding routinely administrating CPT to the COVID-19 patients, whether it is safe and effective. RESULTS: From cases in Indonesia and other countries, there is bunch of examples that healthcare workers being negatively stigmatized in case of COVID-19. They lost their rights to have a normal life in this pandemic era. A reasonable basis is found in many literatures to advocate the CPT. Convalescent plasma from COVID-19 patients who had been recovered with high neutralizing antibody titers was reported to be effective on transfusion to other COVID-19 patients. CONCLUSION: CPT is one good option to treat COVID-19 patients, but it not without risk; many potential candidate treatment that promising in theory but somehow fall apart when translated into clinical study; only time will tell, including our ongoing CPT clinical study.