THE ERA OF COVID-19: WILL CONVALESCENT PLASMA AND INTRAVENOUS IMMUNOGLOBULINS BE THE ANSWER

ABSTRACT

Since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection a pandemic in December 2019, observational and interventional studies have been underway to investigate potential therapeutic options to treat and prevent the progression of coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Most COVID-19 patients develop mild to moderate symptoms. However, elderly patients suffering from chronic comorbidities and immunocompromised patients are susceptible to more severe life-threatening presentations. Convalescent plasma and intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIg) are two attractive options for managing and preventing severe COVID-19. However, current literature does not confirm nor deny the efficacy of the convalescent plasma and IVIg against COVID-19. Moreover, there is much concern considering the safety of blood-derived immune products. For these reasons, the current clinical guidelines do not recommend for or against the use of blood-derived immune products for managing COVID-19 cases. This article summarizes recent evidence on the safety and efficacy of the convalescent plasma and IVIg in COVID-19 patients.