Convalescent Plasma Therapy on Critically-ill Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Patients

Objectives: The current COVID-19 pandemic needs unconventional therapies to tackle the resulted high morbidity and mortality. Convalescent plasma is one of the therapeutic approaches that might be of benefit. Methods: Forty nine early-stage critically-ill COVID-19 patients residing in respiratory care units (RCU) of three hospitals in Baghdad, Iraq were included, 21 received convalescent plasma while 28 did not receive, namely control group. Recovery or death, length of stay in hospital, and improvement in the clinical course of the disease were monitored clinically along with laboratory monitoring through SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection via PCR, and SARS-CoV-2 IgG and IgM serological monitoring.

Inclusion criteria

• 49 critically-ill COVID-19 patients are included.
• All of the patients were with pneumonia and residing in RCU
• Age ≥ 18 y
• With dyspnea and oxygen saturation less than 90% in resting state.
• At their first 3 days in RCU either receiving O2 therapy, c-pap, or on ventilators.
• All of the patients were residing in infectious diseases wards before being transferred to RCU.

Exclusion criteria

• The exclusion criteria of the COVID-19 patients were:

• Previous allergic history to plasma or its ingredients such as sodium citrate.
• Cases with serious general conditions, such as severe organ dysfunction, that are not suitable for transfusion.
• Very late stage of the acute respiratory distress (ARDS) where Convalescent plasma (CP) has proved to be of low therapeutic benefit