Exploring the Efficacy of Convalescent Plasma Therapy in COVID-19 Patients: A Clinical Trial Study

Abstract

Background: In December 2019, a group of patients in Wuhan, Hubei province, China, presented with severe illness and pneumonia of unknown origin. Subsequently, a novel coronavirus was identified as the cause and named "2019 novel coronavirus" (2019-nCoV), later defined as "SARS-CoV-2" (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2), leading to the development of the disease known as COVID-19. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of convalescent plasma as a potential therapy for patients with COVID-19. Methods: Patients diagnosed with COVID-19 based on real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or CT-Scan symptoms were randomly assigned to either the treatment group (n = 29, received convalescent plasma) or the control group (n = 29). Clinical manifestations and pulmonary involvement were monitored three times during the study. At the end of the intervention, patients were evaluated for clinical symptoms, laboratory test results, and length of hospital stay. Results: Among the 58 patients who completed the study, there were no significant differences in baseline characteristics between the treatment and control groups upon admission to the hospital. However, the length of hospital stay was significantly shorter (9.54 days) in the convalescent plasma group compared to the control group (12.88 days). Conclusion: The findings from this study indicate that the use of convalescent plasma therapy, in addition to standard treatment, did not result in reduced mortality or improved clinical outcomes at day 7 when compared to a placebo or control group.