Convalescent plasma shows no improvement, not for Covid treatment: WHO

Geneva

Convalescent plasma shows no improvement in survival andother important measures and is not recommended for patients with Covid-19,according to a study released on Tuesday by the World Health Organization (WHO).

 Covid-19 convalescentplasma, also known as "survivor's plasma", is transfusion of bloodplasma from patients who have recovered from Covid-19. Last year, the US Foodand Drug Administration (FDA) issued an emergency use authorisation to allowuse of convalescent plasma in hospitalised patients with Covid-19.

 A WHO GuidelineDevelopment Group of international experts in The BMJ wrote that despite itsinitial promise, current evidence shows that it does not improve survival norreduce the need for mechanical ventilation, and it is costly and time-consumingto administer.

  The WHO made a strong recommendation againstthe use of convalescent plasma in patients with non-severe illness, and inpatients with severe and critical illness, except in the context of arandomised controlled trial (RCT).

  The recommendations are based on evidence from16 trials involving 16,236 patients with non-severe, severe, and critical Covidinfection. And although convalescent plasma should not be used routinely in anypatients, regardless of how severely ill they are, the panel acknowledged thatthere was sufficient uncertainty in patients with severe and critical illnessto warrant continuation of RCTs.

 The guidance adds toprevious recommendations for the use of interleukin-6 receptor blockers andsystemic corticosteroids for patients with severe or critical Covid-19;conditional recommendations for the use of neutralising monoclonal antibodiesin selected patients and against the use of ivermectin and hydroxychloroquinein patients with covid-19 regardless of disease severity.

 The therapy involvestransfusing plasma, the pale yellow liquid in blood that is rich in antibodies,from people who have recovered from Covid-19 into patients who have leukemia,lymphoma or other blood cancers and are hospitalised with the viral infection.The goal is to accelerate their disease-fighting response.

 In August, a studyled by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) also stated that earlyadministration of convalescent plasma does not prevent disease progression in ahigh-risk group of Covid-19 patients.

 In May, the IndianCouncil of Medical Research (ICMR) dropped the plasma therapy as Covid-19treatment, citing no significant benefit.