In a new study, researchers found that blood plasma from people recovering from COVID-19 could help prevent severe illness in older patients newly infected with the virus.
The findings give new hope to the notion that so-called “convalescent plasma” might have a role to play in treating COVID-19.
The research was conducted by a team from Fundación Infant in Buenos Aires
In the study, the team tested 160 patients infected with the new coronavirus who were not yet sick enough to require hospital care. Patients averaged 77 years of age.
80 patients received plasma and 80 received a placebo treatment.
The team found severe respiratory disease developed in 13 of 80 patients (16%) who received convalescent plasma and 25 of 80 patients (31%) who received placebo.
In other words, the treatment cut in half the likelihood that a patient would go on to require supplemental oxygen to help them breathe.
But there were two key factors critical for donor plasma to be effective in curbing illness: It had to be given within 72 hours of the onset of symptoms, and the plasma must have a high concentration of disease-fighting antibodies.
In the study, about 28% of volunteers who’d recovered from COVID-19 and donated their plasma had achieved the high levels of antibodies in their plasma that was needed to produce a medical benefit.
The team says the evidence that early administration of convalescent plasma treatment can improve outcomes for COVID-19 patients is important.
There is a paucity of therapies today to prevent the progression of mild cases to severe illness and no clear pathway for keeping these patients out of hospitals, where capacity continues to be stretched.
The new results provide a roadmap for early intervention among individuals at higher risk, allowing scientists to expect a better prognosis for patients while reducing the need for oxygen support and hospitalization.
One author of the study is Dr. Fernando Polack from the nonprofit health organization Fundación Infant in Buenos Aires.
The study is published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
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